AMBULANCE drivers who have twice been promised pay that has been owed since August have still not been paid, The Argus can reveal.

Staff employed by Docklands Medical Services Ltd - a subcontractor of Coperforma who provide non-emergency patient transport in Sussex - have not been paid since July 31 and are on the verge of losing their homes.

Meanwhile, speaking exclusively to The Argus, the firm’s director refused to apologise to unpaid staff, saying he had poured £200,000 of his own money into the company but had no more to offer.

Neil Jacobs, 39, lives in Croydon and works for Docklands in Sussex, said: “The last time I was paid was two months ago but I still go out and do the job because otherwise patients suffer.”

Mr Jacobs, who is not a union member, said that his bank are demanding immediate payment of his mortgage arrears and threatening foreclosure.

Connor Braithwaite, 19, is two months behind with his rent having not been paid. He said: “I’ve been off my food, I’ve been having chest pains because I’m under that much stress.”

Last week The Argus reported that Coperforma had promised to make the payment owed by Docklands on Friday, September 23. When that did not happen, the NHS made a payment on Tuesday but it has emerged that some non-union staff were still owed money.

Docklands’ director Chriss Arnall told The Argus that he repeatedly asked Coperforma to review the terms of his contract - which he claims does not allow his company to be profitable - and warned them that the firm was at risk of not being able to pay staff, but Coperforma repeatedly refused.

He stopped short of apologising to drivers and said his message was: “We tried our best, I haven’t taken any money out of the business I’ve put money in, and when money has been paid to us it’s gone straight to drivers.”

He said he had put more than £200,000 into the firm and had asked his bank, Lloyds, for a business loan but they refused.

A Coperforma spokesman said: “We never comment on the terms and conditions of our agreements with contractors which are confidential between the parties concerned.” He added that it was “ridiculous conjecture” to conclude that Coperforma was ultimately at fault for the drivers not having been paid.

Wendy Carberry, Chief Executive of High Weald Lewes Havens Clinical Commissioning Group, said that the NHS had made an “ex-gratia” payment for staff who were previously employed by SECAMB and then by Langfords, but that the payment had been channelled via the GMB and Unison unions.

She added that the trust had a “moral responsibility” to pay staff who had been keeping the service going, but added: “It is not appropriate for us to pay Docklands management team or their employees elsewhere in the country.

Any staff who believe they are still owed pay are encouraged to contact the CCG by email at HWCCG.HWLHCCGenquiries@nhs.net with “Docklands Payroll” in the subject line.