Who can use hospital transport

Patients with medical conditions that prevent them from using other transport and who do not have relatives or friends who can help them can use hospital transport.

This includes patients who are:

• going into hospital as an inpatient
• going to hospital for a day case treatment 
• visiting outpatient clinics  
• going in for tests
• going back home after their appointment or stay in hospital.

We can only arrange hospital transport for patients who are in medical need and cannot get to and from our hospitals in any other way.

What we mean by medical need

You are in medical need if your:    

• doctor has said that you cannot use public transport or your own transport
• medical condition requires medical  staff to be present during the journey

• your condition could deteriorate (worsen) with little or no warning.

To make sure that transport is being used appropriately and efficiently, each request is assessed individually against a set of specific criteria.

Requesting hospital transport     

Hospital transport can only be authorised by a healthcare professional such as your GP or consultant.

If you have never asked for hospital transport before or have not used this service in the past six months, please use this form  to arrange this.

If you have used this service in the past six months, your hospital consultant can authorise this for you when you attend your appointment.

Please contact the hospital transport department on 020 7351 8012 if you have any questions.

Relatives and carers on hospital transport

We can only provide hospital transport for a relative or carer if you need their help during the journey. If you plan to request hospital transport for a relative or carer, your hospital doctor or GP will need to approve this.

If you are admitted to hospital, your relative or carer will need to organise his or her own transport home.

Waiting at home

It is important that you are ready when your transport arrives, otherwise you and other patients sharing the transport may be late for appointments.

Please remember to take with you:

• your appointment / confirmation letter

• any medication you are taking

• hearing aid and glasses if you use them

• the key to your house / flat.

If you experience traffic delays and think you may be late, you can ask the driver to let your hospital department know.

Outpatient clinics

If you are going to an outpatient clinic, please let the clinic staff know when you arrive that you are using hospital transport. They will try to make sure you are seen as a priority. This is important if you are booked for more than one test on the same day.

Going home

When your appointment is finished, please go to the transport department and let the staff know that you are waiting to go home on hospital transport.

If you need help getting to the transport department, please ask the receptionist in the department where you are at the time to arrange this for you.

Please be aware that you may be travelling with other patients. You may have to wait until those patients have finished or are ready to go home before the transport leaves. they will do our best to make sure that your wait is as short as possible.  

Cancellations

If you cannot come to your appointment, or have arranged to make your own way to hospital, please contact the transport department to cancel your hospital transport.