NHS Patient Transport Services to Local Hospitals

Non-emergency NHS Patient Transport

Non-emergency patient transport services are provided to take patients who have a medical need for such transport to and from treatment units. This will be decided by your doctor.

Medical need for non-emergency patient transport will be determined on the basis that each patient should be able to reach a hospital in a reasonable time and in reasonable comfort, without detriment to their medical condition.

This will depend on the following factors:

• the medical condition of the individual patient

• the availability of private or public transport

• the distance to be travelled

The GP (dentist or midwife) normally makes the first request for non emergency transport and the hospital clinician all subsequent requests.

The NHS Trusts are responsible for the provision of these services and aim to meet the following standards.

• the type of transport (e.g. ambulance, minibus or car) will be the most suitable for each patient's needs, taking into account any recommendation made by the patient's doctor;

• that patient will be kept informed of any change or delay in their travel arrangements arising from unforeseen circumstances;

• that patients who live in the West Suffolk area will not spend more than one hour on the vehicle for either the journey to the hospital or the journey home;

• patients will arrive at the hospital within 30 minutes of the appointment time;

• patients will be picked up within 30 minutes of the estimated time that the patient will be ready to make the return journey.

For further information about organisations and operators providing transport service to hospitals in East Anglia, please see the following pages:

Help with travelling expenses

Patients who do not have a medical need for NHS transport to hospital and who get Income Support or are on a low income can receive help with their travelling expenses under the Hospital Travel Cost Scheme. Full details of the scheme are in a leaflet (HC11), Help with Health Costs, which is available at hospitals and local offices of the Department of Social Security.