Transport to medical appointments

Healthwatch Tameside carried out a survey to find out about people’s experiences of using patient transport to get to medical appointments during the pandemic.

• They found that getting to medical appointments can be an issue for some people.
• Many older people are asking family and friends to give them a lift to appointments. This can mean family having to take time out of work.
• This same group of people are also the highest users of taxis. Some say they find public transport too difficult, others that there isn’t a bus service they can use. Many complained about the cost.
• They were told in one response that a patient was not eligible for non-emergency Patient Transport (provided by North West Ambulance Service), because they have a family member who can provide transport, even though this means that person taking time out of work.
• People told them that they were not aware of services such as Miles of Smiles.

Healthwatch made a recommendation for doctors, nurses, hospitals, etc. to consider travel arrangements when appointments are being made, especially if the patient is unable to drive themselves. They must think about whether patients are aware of all the options available and if they are eligible for a service that they may not be aware of.