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Clinical Quality and Patient Safety

Information for GPs and Clinicians

Requesting Patient Transport Services

Patients must have a medical need to receive NHS transport.

Click here for the arrangements for booking PTS transport in each area.

Bookings can normally only be accepted from authorised hospital sources (such as referral centres) or GPs. They should be made at least 48 hours before the patient’s journey is required. In the event of a cancellation please inform the relevant Control immediately to save a wasted journey which will be charged to the relevant contract holder.

PTS generally operates between 1000 and 1500, Monday to Friday. Patients should ideally be given appointment times which allow their journey to be completed within these times. Local agreement with an individual trust may exist to accommodate attendance at specialist centres.

Please inform patients using Voluntary Ambulance Car Services transport that a cost will be incurred unless exempt from the charges.

When making a booking, please:

  • allow at least 48 hours notice (late notice bookings may sometimes be accommodated however the Trust can not guarantee this will be possible due to demand on services)
  • include the patient’s full address (including postcode) and telephone number
  • tell us the patient’s destination (eg hospital and clinic, ward. Outpatients is insufficient)
  • state the category of transport (see below)
  • advise if a child seat is required
  • advise if the patient has any mobility aids which need to travel with them
  • advise of any infectious diseases (eg MRSA)
  • advise if the patient is potentially violent
  • advise if escorts are authorised to travel with the patient (for medical need only: children under 16, patients with loss of senses, mentally confused patients, patients undergoing traumatic treatment or injury)
  • advise of any additional special needs (eg oxygen therapy)

So what does the jargon mean?

Car One (C1) - the patient can travel sitting in a car and move with the assistance of one person, without a requirement to be ‘lifted’.

Car Two (C2) - the patient can travel sitting but needs the assistance of two people to walk or may need to be helped into the ambulance or up stairs.

Stretcher (Str) - the patient needs to travel lying down on a stretcher in the ambulance and needs to be carried up and down any stairs. A stretcher patient takes the same room as three C2 seats.

Wheelchair (w/c) - the patient is required to travel in their own wheelchair due to medical reasons. Electric or other model wheelchairs are booked as three seats.

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