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Patient Transport Assessment Centre

By: Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Good Publicity. Improved service for patients. Less unnecessary journeys. Carbon saving. Great example of NHS organisations working together

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.

Guys and St Thomas’, Lewisham, Tunbridge Wells PCT, Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

 

Avoiding duplication of transportation. Collaboration between NHS organisations. Bring in revenue

London Procurement Programme (NHS).  Helped with the negotiations throughout the process

01/06/2010
ongoing

Staff time only

Negotiating the actual contracts.   We did not face many barriers as people could see the benefits and that the call centre had capacity to increase its services

Alexandra Hammond, alexandra.hammond@gstt.nhs.uk