Patient Transport Assessment Centre

Some patients are unable to make their own way to hospital for medical reasons. London trusts spend £55 million a year on patient transport. Patients or their GPs contact the hospital to request transport. Hospitals have their own processes and criteria to assess who qualifies for transport. The system is inconsistent with some patients getting transport to one hospital, but not to another.  We worked with London trusts to improve the assessment process by developing a consistent set of criteria. The criteria define which patients should qualify for transport, in accordance with Department of Health guidance. The criteria provide a scoring system based on mobility & sensory impairment and ill health.