If you or a family member need to attend a hospital appointment you may be eligible for the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service or the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme..
If you are not eligible for either of these, please see our bus services to hospitals information below as well as our community transport information.
Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service
Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS) is a limited resource made available for free to those who meet specific medical mobility needs, which include the need to travel by stretcher, wheelchair or have regular visits to renal dialysis. NEPTS is an essential cog in the healthcare system and transports millions of patients each year.
To ensure these limited specialist resources are used by those most in need, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and NHS Hospital Trusts apply an 'NHS national eligibility criteria' to determine who can use the local NEPTS service. Sometimes, NHS Trusts apply regional variances to this criteria depending on the geographical and demographic needs.
EMED will be providing this service from 1 April 2024. EMED Patient Care and all NEPTS providers are bound by this eligibility criteria and apply them to anyone who wishes to make a booking. This makes sure only those that have a genuine reason to travel on an ambulance are allowed to do so. It also ensures the limited specialist resources are used by those most in need.
Non-Emergency Patient Transport is available for those who require assistance in getting to their appointments or place of care, because:
- They have a medical need such as requiring oxygen or specialist equipment to travel safely
- They have limited mobility (e.g. needing a wheelchair or stretcher)
- They have a cognitive or sensory impairment
Please visit EMED's website for more information.
Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme
The Healthcare Travel Costs scheme provides financial assistance to those patients who do not have a medical need for ambulance transport but who require assistance with their travel costs.
Patients on low incomes or receiving qualifying benefits or allowances (such as Income support and Job Seekers Allowance) are reimbursed in part or in full for their travel expenses. For more information, please visit the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HCTS) page on the NHS website.
Bus services to hospitals
Below is a list of hospitals in Surrey that are served by buses. Under each hospital you will find a list of direct bus services....