Patient transport

Getting to hospital can be difficult for some people, because of their clinical condition or mobility. In line with the Department of Health’s guidelines, we provide a non-emergency transport service for patients who cannot get to hospital without support.

Completing an eligibility assessment

If you feel you need support getting to and from hospital, call our transport booking team on:
0330 678 1245

The team is available: 

If you are unable to call, a friend, relative, carer or representative can call on your behalf.

One of our trained team members will assess your needs and ask questions about your medical condition and your mobility. This assessment is confidential.  

If you need to attend hospital regularly, we will assess your transport needs every three months so that we can provide the right type of vehicle for you each time.

After you are assessed 

If your request for hospital transport is approved, we will book your transport for you. This includes your return journey home. 

The day before your hospital appointment, we will contact you to make sure: 

If your appointment is on a Monday, we will contact you on a Friday.

When we contact you, we will tell you the approximate pick-up time. 

When the transport team is 30 minutes away from your home, you will receive a text message to your mobile phone or a voice message to your landline telephone number so that you can get ready to leave. 

Please be ready when your transport arrives as our drivers cannot wait more than 10 minutes.

What to do if you do not meet the eligibility criteria

If you do not meet the assessment criteria, one of our trained team will discuss alternative ways to get to our hospitals. If you need help with travel costs, we will talk to you about the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme.

If you feel that the assessment decision is incorrect you can speak to a supervisor who will try to resolve your transport issue. 

If it is not resolved, you have the right to appeal by contacting our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). Your appeal will be reviewed by the service that is caring for you. 

You can plan your journey using TFL Journey Planner or Citymapper which allow you to plan your journey using your preferred mode of transport.

Can a friend or relative be with me on the journey?

We use Department of Health guidelines to decide whether you need someone to accompany you. To discuss this, please call our transport booking team on 0330 678 1245.  

What should I bring with me?

Please ensure you have:

If you are diabetic, please bring some food and water in case there is any traffic delays.

There is limited space onboard so please only bring one small bag. Contact the helpdesk on 0330 678 1245 in advance if you need to discuss bringing any other items.

Who will collect me?

Patient transport is provided by Community Ambulance Services (CAS), a specialist provider of transport services working on behalf of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. 

CAS are a fully CQC-accredited organisation that provides non-emergency transport at several NHS trusts. For more information, please visit the CAS website.

Each member of staff will be in uniform with an in-date photo identification badge.

Getting home after your appointment

If you are coming in for a planned appointment, please let the clinic/department know that you are a transport patient when you arrive so that hospital staff can arrange for transport to take you home.

We work hard to make sure that patients have the shortest wait possible for their transport home. However, you should be prepared to wait up to 90 minutes.

If you need to leave the patient transport lounge while you are waiting for your transport, please tell a member of staff so they know where you are.

If you have a longer stay in hospital as an inpatient, transport will be arranged by the ward staff when you’re ready to go home.

Questions, concerns or complaints

If you are having a problem with your transport booking, please contact 0330 678 1245.

You may also wish to make a complaint – please contact 020 3326 1326 (Monday to Friday, 09.00 to 17.00) or email patient.feedback@communityambulance.co.uk.

Our staff are also being asked to record transport problems and delays for their patients in the way they would normally record an adverse incident so that we have a clear picture of the situation and can check on progress.