Patient Transport Services
Patient Transport Service - Eligibility Criteria
Welcome to Patient Transport Service information. This section contains information regarding the changes to the eligibility criteria for Patient Transport Services (PTS) in the North West of England.
The Patient Transport Service throughout the North West is provided by the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust. It provides pre-planned non-urgent transport to and from hospital out-patient or clinic appointments. Although the vehicles used to transport patients are called ambulances, they should not be confused with the emergency ambulances which respond to 999 calls. The services outlined here are not part of the emergency service.
In line with requirements set out by the Department of Health, important changes have had to be made to the Patient Transport Service to ensure that those with a real medical need are able to receive assistance in getting to and from their hospital appointments.
Previously there were variations throughout the region as to what criteria patients had to meet in order to qualify for transport. We have now introduced a fairer system which will mean that all patients who book transport with the PTS will be assessed in the same way, no matter where they live or where they book.
This new system covers all of the North West and began in Manchester on 28 March 2011.
Patients can book transport by calling the Health Improvement Centre directly on 0800 092 4020.
NHS Manchester is responsible for booking patient transport journeys and they pass all bookings onto the ambulance service.
If you request transport to your appointment, you will be asked to complete a simple assessment which is a series of questions – no medical examination is required, but if you're booking through the Health Improvement Centre, you'll need to have your NHS number.
Once completed, the booking officer will immediately advise you as to whether or not you are eligible for transport.
If you need more information about local health services, or have any comments or queries, please contact the PALS service on
Freephone – 0800 015 1462 or
click here or email
pals@manchester.nhs.uk.
Below is a series of questions and answers which we hope will tell you everything you need to know. Click on the question below to be taken to the answer to that specific question or scroll down to see all of the questions and answers.
Why is this happening?
Implementing a consistent eligibility criteria for the use of North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) Patient Transport Service (PTS) originates from the Department of Health’s national policy document ‘Eligibility Criteria for Patient Transport Services.’ This document outlines the need for a uniformed approach to services throughout the country and states what criteria patients must meet in order to obtain ambulance transport to and from pre-planned clinic and hospital appointments.
PTS in the North West is provided by the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust and funded by the PCTs throughout the region. Since the merger of the four ambulance trusts in 2006, the Service has had to work with almost 70 service level agreements. As NWAS lead commissioner, NHS Blackpool will now take overall responsibility for PTS in the North West from April 2011 and there will be one single contract based on the national standards. Ensuring consistent eligibility criteria throughout the region is a major part of that process.
What will happen to the people who are refused / do not meet the eligibility criteria?
Those who do not have a genuine need for ambulance transport will be advised on what other means are available to them, such as public transport. If, due to social circumstances, they are unable to meet the cost of travelling for the treatment, advice regarding the Hospital Travel Costs Scheme will be provided. PCTs are not able to provide transport for social reasons, and the criteria is based on medical need only.
If anyone is unhappy with the outcome of their assessment, and the matter cannot be resolved at the time of booking, they will be advised on the routes they can take for appeal which will be via the Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS) of the booking PCT.
Why has the eligibility criteria not been applied before?
The North West region covers an area of 5,400 sq miles and encompasses 24 PCTs and 38 NHS hospital trusts. Previously individual PCTs commissioned PTS services independently and since the merger of the four ambulance trusts in the region, have continued to do so. For 18 months a comprehensive review took place which identified discrepancies in the criteria for eligibility and that work is now complete. The new system has been introduced as a result of that review.
How do you determine what transport people are eligible for?
Eligible patients are those:
- Where the medical condition of the patient is such that they require the skills or support of PTS staff, either during or after the journey and/or where it would be detrimental to the patient’s condition or recovery if they were to travel by any other means.
- Where the patient’s condition impacts on their mobility to such an extent that they would be unable to access healthcare and/or it would be detrimental to the patient’s condition or recovery if they were to travel by any other means.
- Recognised as a parent or guardian of a child being conveyed.
- Recognised as carer of a vulnerable adult – discretionary provision for this would be agreed in advance when transport is booked.
A patient’s eligibility for PTS should be determined either by a healthcare professional or by non-clinically qualified staff who are both:
- Clinically supervised and/or working within locally agreed protocols or guidelines.
- Employed by the NHS or working under contract for the NHS.
Why is the eligibility criteria only applying to new patients and not all, isn't that unfair?
In all cases of changes to service provision, there has to be a starting point and currently the North West Ambulance Service undertakes over 2.3million PTS journeys every year. It would be impractical to assess the large numbers of patients we are currently providing a service to and therefore, it was felt that assessing new patients was the fairest option.
A new patient booking is classified as someone who has been referred for treatment for a new appointment, or a patient who has not received transport in the last three months. Over time, this criteria will be applied to all patients so that all those that travel using the Patient Transport Service have a genuine medical need.
What about the existing patients that have always had transport booked for them, will they have to go through this process too?
If the patient is currently using the service and has done so within the last three months, they are not required to go through the assessment. The assessment should only be carried out for patients who have never used the service before or who have not done so during the last three months at the time of booking.
Downloadable Leaflet
Click the link below to download our leaflet about Patient Transport Services in Manchester.
Patient Transport Services - Manchester (opens pdf)