I have recently received a number of e-mails regarding hospital transport for elderly people.
Arranging transport to and from hospital is an issue faced by many elderly people and their loved ones, and will continue to affect even more as our society ages. I am pleased therefore that there have been significant cross-governmental efforts made to ensure that elderly and frail people can gain access to suitable transport to and from hospitals.
The Department of Health currently runs a number of schemes to assist patients with non-emergency hospital transport. These services provide free transport to and from hospital for people whose condition means they need additional medical support during their journey. These services were most recently discussed in Parliament on the 16th October 2017; a response on the issue was provided by Steve Brine MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department of Health. A link to the Hansard Source for his response can be found here.
There is also the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to help those patients who require assistance with their travel costs to non-emergency medical appointments. Under the scheme, eligible patients (and sometimes carers) are reimbursed for costs incurred in travelling to appointments at non-primary medical and dental services. Furthermore, patients who are not in receipt of a qualifying benefit but are on a low income may be eligible for assistance through the NHS Low Income Scheme.
You may be pleased to know that the Department of Transport manages a Community Minibus Fund in England and Wales. With a budget of £2 million, this fund is available for charities and community groups to provide minibus journeys for elderly residents, amongst others, to help them reach medical services and local amenities.
The NHS is working closely with independent providers, who offer non-emergency patient transport throughout the country, and offer essential support to conventional ambulance services.
Thank you again for contacting me on this important issue.