How do I organise transport to and from hospital?

If your reason for going to hospital is not an emergency, you'll normally be expected to make your own way there.

Some people are eligible for non-emergency patient transport services (PTS).  Eligibility for NHS-funded transport is defined by the Department of Health and Social Care as:

• where the medical condition of the patient is such that they require the skills or support of PTS staff on/after the journey and/or where it would be detrimental to the patient’s condition or recovery if they were to travel by other means.
• where the patient’s medical condition impacts on their mobility to such an extent that they would be unable to access healthcare and/or it would be detrimental to the patient’s condition or recovery to travel by other means.
• recognised as a parent or guardian where children are being conveyed.

You can view the full eligibility criteria here.

In this area, the service is provided by Yorkshire Ambulance Service.  Find out more on the patient transport service website.

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Refunds of hospital transport costs

You may be able to claim a refund for the cost of your transport to hospital through the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS).  

To qualify for help with travel costs under the HTCS, you must meet three conditions:

1. At the time of your appointment, you or your partner (including civil partners) must receive one of the qualifying benefits or allowances listed on this page, or meet the eligibility criteria for the NHS low income scheme.

2. You must have a referral from a healthcare professional to a specialist or a hospital for further NHS treatment or tests (often referred to as secondary care).

3. Your appointment must be on a separate visit to when the referral was made.  This applies whether your treatment is provided at a different location (hospital or clinic) or on the same premises as where your GP or another health professional issued the referral.

Visit Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) for more information on who is eligible, what the conditions are, and how you can access the scheme.

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Car parking concessions

The Trust offers a number of concessions to visitors and patients who attend the hospital regularly or for long periods of time.  To obtain any of these concessions, please see the ward or unit staff.

Mandatory concessions
Blue badge permits	Free
Outpatients who attend hospital for an appointment at least three times within 30 days and for an overall period of at least three months	Free
Parents of sick children staying overnight	Free

Voluntary concessions
Visitors to patients in the last days of life/bereavement care		Free
Visitors to patients in Critical Care/ITU/HDU and Coronary Care		Free
Visitor nominated by long-term patient (been in hospital for over seven days)		Reduced rate (one hour)
Parents staying with a patient on the children’s ward		Free
Volunteers		Free
Partner of expectant mother whilst in labour		Free
Emergency department attendance		Maximum four hours charge
A patient receiving cancer treatment		Free
Close relative of a patient receiving care under the Mental Health Act		Reduced rate (one hour)