Non-Emergency Patient Transport Eligibility Criteria Changes

Non-emergency patient transport services (NEPTS) provide funded transport where a medical condition means that a patient would struggle to safely attend their treatment or appointment independently. NEPTS are important in keeping NHS services flowing smoothly and ensuring access to NHS services for many people.  The service ensures that patients arrive on time for appointments and that, once discharged, they are able to return to their normal place of residence, and supports patients receiving regular treatment such as dialysis or cancer treatment.

Across Yorkshire and the Humber and into North Lincolnshire, Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS) is commissioned by Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in Humber and North Yorkshire, South and West Yorkshire to provide a non-emergency patient transport service (PTS) to support eligible patients who have a medical condition which could prevent them from getting to their appointment by other means.

The patients provided with support have a wide range of needs including those who can climb into a minibus-like vehicle themselves, to those who are in a wheelchair or need to be carried on a stretcher.  Patients also need a wide range of support during the journey, with some being independent, while others may need oxygen administered.

Eligibility for NHS-funded transport is assessed in relation to a patient’s medical needs, mobility and general transport arrangements.

Transport cannot be provided to patients on the basis of social or financial needs. Patients who do not have a medical need for NHS-funded transport will be signposted to alternative transport or schemes.

Patients that are able to make their own way to healthcare appointments using their own transport, family members, public/community transport or taxi services are encouraged to do so.  Signposting to community transport providers is provided.

In addition, under the national NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), there is an opportunity for patients on a low income/in receipt of some benefits to claim help with travel costs and for carers/escorts (if it is medically necessary).

Following the publication of a review of commissioning arrangements for NEPTS, NHS England and NHS Improvement launched a public consultation in order to gain feedback on the patient eligibility recommendations outlined in their review.

The public consultation ran between 2 August 2021 and 25 November 2021 on the updated ‘Non-emergency patient transport services eligibility criteria’ to be adopted for all patient transport throughout England.

In response to this feedback, NHS England updated and published the eligibility criteria for NEPTS. In summary, this eligibility criteria states most people should travel to and from hospital independently by private or public transport, with the help of relatives or friends if necessary. NHS-funded patient transportation is reserved for when it is considered essential to ensuring an individual’s safety, safe mobilisation, condition management or recovery.

The patient is likely to qualify for non-emergency patient transport if they meet one or more of the following criteria:

• They have a medical need
• They have a cognitive or sensory impairment
• They have a significant mobility need
• They are travelling to or returning from in-centre haemodialysis
• A safeguarding concern has been raised
• They have wider mobility or medical needs that have resulted in treatment or discharge being missed or severely delayed.

The updated criteria gives patients clarity on who is eligible for transport and to ensure that where relevant, they have appropriate access to patient transport.  Included in the updated eligibility criteria is a universal commitment of transport support for patients attending in-centre haemodialysis. This document provides guidance to patients, patient groups, haemodialysis units, transport providers and commissioners in support of that universal commitment for transport support.