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:
- coming into hospital as an inpatient
- coming to hospital for a day case treatment
- visiting outpatient clinics
- coming 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
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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 contact your GP or referring consultant 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 be aware, if you reside in the North East Essex area, you are now required to book your transport services with East of England Ambulance Services directly.
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 bring with you:
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your appointment / confirmation letter
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any medication you are taking
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hearing aid and glasses if you use them
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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 coming 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. We 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 us to cancel your hospital transport.
Royal Brompton Hospital transport
020 7351 8012 or
020 7352 8121 extension 4040
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Harefield Hospital transport
01895 828 805
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Please give at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel your hospital transport. Our transport provider charges us for late cancellations.
If it is out of office hours (5pm to 9am Monday to Friday or on weekends and bank holidays), please contact 020 3488 2194.
Transport companies
We expect high standards of safety, courtesy, care and consideration from the companies we use to provide transport services.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of the service please let us know by contacting: Patient Transport Services Manager Telephone: 020 7352 8121 and asking for extension 84455 or asking the operator to contact the Transport Manager. Alternatively, contact the transport team leader on 88012 or ask the operator.