Are you disabled? Usually transport is only available for patients who are disabled and need assistance from ambulance crew. There are volunteer car drivers who do hospital runs but again from my experience with my elderly mother they only step in when there is a physical need and no other way for the patient to attend. I would be surprised if you could get transport purely on money grounds.
Ah. No, I'm not disabled. I wasn't aware of that being a restriction. It's very far away however - the other side of Bristol. Sorry, it wasn't really on money grounds exactly. Frenchay hospital is 4.3 miles from me. Is that still not far enough?
Hi Jo, I think you have to ask your Gp/ surgery for transport to hospital appointments,my husband used to do voluntary driving for nhs using his own car!
Hi Beverley!! Thanks for your reply. I really feel for your husband doing voluntary driving with his own car!! I might have to go through my practice manager about this matter as my GP is very popular and I doubt I'll be able to talk to her about this by the time my appointment comes round!! Nightmare!!
Hi again Jo ,my husband doesn't do voluntary driving anymore,he really enjoyed it but would work 10 hours a day backwards and forwards to the hospitals,with only one tea break if he was lucky,and being a porter aswell,he took abled and disabled patients to appointments,hope you can get some transport to your app!xx
Hi Beverley - Sorry!! I read your answer wrong by thinking he didn't like it. Sorry! LOL. One tea break?
I wasn't able to get transport to my appointment via my GP. I went up there and discussed it with the receptionist - apparently if I can make my own way to the surgery I can make my own way to the hospital - despite it being 4 or so miles away!
You need to phone your local patient transport office...the criteria is based on a number of questions they will ask you and you need to pass their assessment of need. It is not based on what benefits you are recieving.
Hi, no. I got nowhere with it. I spoke to the receptionist and she said quite simply if I can make my own way to the GP surgery I can make my own way to the hospital appointment.
Jo xxx
in reply to
Had a word with the practice receptionist - long story short I'm not entitled to patient transport. Apparently if I can make my own way to the GP practice I can make my own way to the hospital.
She did say I can claim the money back for the bus fare but after looking on the NHS website it appears that this is no longer the case. They stopped this in April 2013.
Grandparents cannot take me either - so it'll just have to be me.
Sometimes I can barely walk, other days I can and have had to drag myself to hospitals in a different town of late which means a walk, a bus then a train then another bus, this has happened quite a bit recently....The attitude appears to be 'tough' just get on with it if you want to see the consultant. Its a harsh tough world when you become unwell I am sorry to say! :-(((((((((((((((((((((
I sometimes feel that way about jobseeking as I sign on once every 2 weeks - early in the morning too (at 9am) so I have to get up at 7:30am once every 2 weeks to get to the Jobcentre! My boyfriend doesn't understand the hassle I have about getting up so early and not feeling like it so yes I do tend to just get on with it kind of thing.
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