Do you need help getting to hospital?

If you visited hospital recently, how did you get there?

Most people drive, use public transport, or rely on the kindness of family and friends to get to their hospital appointments on time. But if you don’t have good access to transport it can mean missing out on health check-ups and routine screenings. It can be even harder if you need to attend regular appointments at a hospital for long-term conditions, such as chemotherapy treatment for cancer.

There are lots of reasons why you might not be able to get to hospital easily for a non-emergency appointment. For example, we often hear from people who are physically unable to travel, can’t afford transport, or live in a rural area.

What support is available?

If you need help getting to hospital, find out whether you’re eligible for NHS-funded support.

If you can’t travel because of your medical condition

Details of the Patient Transport Service that runs in Shropshire can be found here Non-Emergency Patient Transport. This services provide free transport to and from hospital for patients who have a medical condition which prevents them from using other forms of transport to travel to and from healthcare appointments.

You could get a refund on your hospital transport costs

If you’re not eligible for Patient Transport Services, you could claim a refund for the cost of your travel or taking a child to hospital through the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme.

You may be able to benefit from the service if:

• You can’t afford the cost of traveling to hospital
• You can’t get a friend or relative to take you

Find out more about the full eligibility criteria and how to apply.

Voluntary organisations

Depending on your situation, and where you live, you can also find voluntary organisations which can help you get to hospital. For example:

• the Royal Voluntary Service put older people who struggle to get to hospital in touch with local volunteer drivers.
• Age UK also runs door-to-door transport services for older people.
• The British Red Cross Support at Home Service supports people who come home from hospital, or helps to prevent hospitalisation, for up to six weeks, by assisting with shopping, transport to and from medical appointments, and also installing a pendant alarm to aid people to remain as independent as possible.
• Details of community transport providers can be found on the Shropshire Community Transport Consortium website.
• Details of 'Good Neighbour' schemes offering help with transport can be found on the Shropshire Community Directory.