Non-Emergency Patient Transport

Non-Emergency Transport Booking Criteria

The underlying principle for all patient transport should be that patients should have a clear medical need that makes travel by public transport, taxi or private car implausible.

 

Key Numbers

All Enquiries (except Surrey Downs)

  • 0300 123 9840 between 08:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday. Please note that there is a two day booking window.

For Surrey Downs CCG patients, please contact the transport desk at Epsom & St Helier trust  on 020 8296 3960 (available 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays)

Eligibility

Patients who are eligible will broadly fit into the following groups:

  • Poor Fitness / Mobility: Eligible patients for patient transport will generally speaking be unable to travel independently without support or assistance for day to day tasks when not attending hospital.
  • History of mental illness: Patient is unable to follow instructions to travel independently or arrive at the right clinic. To travel independently would present a risk to themselves or others.
  • Medical / Surgical Equipment used for patient treatment makes other types of transport implausible. i.e. cage-frames, syringe drivers, patients requiring oxygen.
  • Independent Travel presents clinical risk: Low immunity patients or patients with a reasonable possibility of an event occurring during transport that requires skilled assistance i.e. Epilepsy.
  • The patient’s age, patient residence or DLA status should not be a reason / non-reason for PTS transport but instead an assessment of the patient against the above criteria using assessment protocols.
  • The patient’s age or where the patient lives should not be a reason for transport, unless the patient meets any of the above criteria.

 

Nurse Escorts and Carer Assistance

Patients with physical or mental impairments may need the assistance of a carer whilst travelling or at the treatment centre.

Patients under the age of 16 will also need a guardian to assist them on their journey. Carer Escorts will be restricted to one per patient.

Nurse escorts will be authorised by the Trust on clinical grounds to assist on PTS journeys.

 

Accessing the Service

At present, patients requiring transport for a first outpatient / direct access diagnostic / primary care service should book their transport through their GP Practice.

Providers will assess and book patients for follow up appointments / admissions / follow up therapies.

 

Patient Transport Ambulance Categories Commissioned by NHS Surrey

Walker Patients
C1 Mobile Mobile patient. Can walk unaided. Can manage to get into and out of a car or manage the steps of an ambulance. Single Crewed Vehicle: Ambulance staffed with one personnel. Mobile patient who can manage to walk unaided but has difficulty getting in and out of a car.

C2 Two Crew Vehicle		 Ambulance that is staffed with two crew members. Vehicle is equipped with oxygen and a wheelchair.

Patient may need assistance or needs to be carried but does not require to lay down for the journey.

C2 4 Man Lift		 Same as above but patient requires four people to lift them.

 

Wheelchair Users

C3 Wheelchair		 Ambulance that is staffed with two crew members. Vehicle is equipped with oxygen. Patient is taking their own wheelchair but can transfer to a
seat on the vehicle with help.
C3 Four Man Lift Same as above but four man lift required due to patient weight or home access.
C4 Travel in Wheelchair Single Crewed Vehicle. Patient travels
in a wheelchair due to a medical condition. Home access is good. No lifting or carrying is required.
C4 Double Ambulance that is staffed with two crew members. Patient travels in a wheelchair due to a medical condition but home access isn’t good. Patient may need lifting or carrying.
C4 Four Man Ambulance that is staffed with two crew members. Patient travels in a wheelchair
due to a medical condition but patient requires four people to lift them.
C5 Electric Wheelchair Single Crewed Vehicle. Patient travels in an electric wheelchair due to a medical condition. Home access is good. No lifting or carrying is required.
C5 Double Ambulance that is staffed with two crew members. Patient travels in an electric wheelchair due to a medical condition
but home access isn’t good. Patient may need lifting or carrying.

 

Stretcher Patients
ITS Ambulance manned by two members of staff trained in basic life support, automatic defibrillation, recognition of patient deterioration, suction, basic diagnostics and advanced driving skills.

Equipped with suction unit, oxygen and resuscitation facilities (no monitoring facilities).

Note: If patient has a pump or infusion running then a qualified escort must accompany the patient unless (in the case of the pump) it is self administrating and doesn’t require a power supply.
S Ambulance that is staffed with two crew members. Vehicle is equipped with oxygen. Patient needs to lay down for the journey but DOES NOT require “Advanced Ambulance Care”.
Bariatric Any patient who is clinically assessed by a clinician to be 22 stone (308 pounds / 140 kilos) or over.

Please state the weight of the person when booking.

 

Bookings

It is expected that patient’s journeys for non urgent and planned healthcare appointments should be booked by 5pm the previous day before the appointment.

Any booking after this time is considered to be an “on the day” booking.

Planning transport saves both time for the patient waiting for the transport and improves the operational efficiency of the PTS fleet to aid Trust bed management.

This applies to NHS Surrey GPs only. Non-Surrey GPs please confirm booking arrangements, eligibility and criteria with your local PCT before requesting transport.