Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services

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Non-emergency patient transport services

Due to NHS commitments we are currently unable to offer Private Transfer ambulance services.

Non-emergency patient transport services (NEPTS) are for people who need to travel to or from hospital or a medical appointment but are unable to travel without specialist support. For example, if you struggle to walk or need extra support during your journey due to a medical condition. 

Most people attending a healthcare appointment or using healthcare services are expected to be able to arrange their own transport. This includes arranging journeys with family, friends, neighbours or carers or through private taxi hire.

This service is for people with a medical need and don’t require an emergency or urgent response. In a medical emergency, you should call 999. If you have an urgent medical problem and you are not sure what to do, call 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk.

Our non-emergency patient transport services for:

Clinical Commissioning Groups, NHS Trusts, and private healthcare providers

We provide Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services to numerous Clinical Commissioning Groups, NHS Foundation Trusts, and private healthcare providers. We can provide one-off journey for a patient, work on a short-term basis to provide additional support at peak demand times, or on a longer-term contractual and framework basis. 

Our services are underpinned by a robust clinical governance structure. They also contribute to the NHS Outcomes Framework.

Our non-emergency patient transport service includes:

Bariatric transport services
Medical repatriation
End of life/hospice transport
Home visits for assessments and discharges
Long distance transfers and discharges to anywhere within the UK and beyond
Inter-facility transfers
Transport to and from hospital admissions, outpatient clinics, and specialist clinics

Partnering with us

We offer highly adaptable services to cater for a variation in demand, and to meet a wide range of clinical needs and acuity.

We provide a range of professional clinical staff, such as Ambulance Care Assistants, Ambulance Technicians (IHCD), and Paramedics. All our clinical staff are fully trained to deliver excellent, high-quality care. They ensure patient dignity, comfort, and confidentiality at all times. We invest in our staff to support their continuous professional development. This ensures they remain qualified to provide the highest-level service standards.

Forward-thinking strategy

We continue to explore innovative solutions and services to meet the ever-changing needs of patients, and wider regional system pressures. We also aim to reduce service- and cost- demands for NHS trusts and other providers. We do this by freeing them to deploy their resources to other key priority areas.

We anticipate working with teams leading the delivery of:

Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships
Accountable Care Organisations
Integrated Care Systems
Integrated Care Pioneers
and other emerging approaches

Support St John Ambulance’s social impact

A partnership with St John Ambulance means we can continue to deliver our highly-reputable charitable work. You can support our work which focuses on increasing community resilience to reduce the demand on local services. Find out more.

yourself or someone you know

Am I eligible for non-emergency patient transport with the NHS?

Before booking transport with St John Ambulance, please check you are not eligible for NHS transport. Eligibility is determined by your medical need, risks to your health and the medical reason why you cannot use private or public transport. Check if this applies to you: NHS eligibility criteria.

Alternatively, you might be able to get your travel costs refunded if:

you are not eligible for NHS non-emergency patient transport
you can't afford the cost of travelling to hospital
you can't travel with a friend or relative

Check if this applies to you: Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme

If you are unsure if you are eligible, ask your GP, or the healthcare professional who referred you to the hospital.

How do I arrange non-emergency patient transport with St John Ambulance?

We might be able to help if you don’t qualify for non-emergency patient transport through the NHS, or it’s not available where you live.

We offer non-emergency patient transport for:

attending hospital outpatient appointments
transfers from independent living to a care home, nursing home, or hospice
transfers between two UK addresses e.g. for family occasions, holidays etc
transport to specialist clinics.

Our non-emergency patient transport service provides:

safe, high quality care delivered by professional and experienced staff
a fully flexible approach
reliability and value for money
a caring and dignified approach to all patients.

We are committed to delivering reliable high- quality care and all of team are skilled and caring professionals. Here is our Patient Charter.

To arrange a journey with us, please contact us using the details at the bottom of this page.

How will my eligibility be assessed by St John Ambulance?

St John Ambulance does not use the same eligibility criteria as the NHS.

After contacting us, a member of the St John Ambulance bookings team will contact you within 48 hours to discuss your needs. This information will be used to determine whether your medical and transport needs can be met by St John Ambulance, the type of vehicle required, level of support required from transport staff, and the availability of a suitable vehicle. If someone is calling on your behalf, they can answer these questions on your behalf.

Once my transport is booked, what happens next ?

When you are contacted by a member of the bookings team, they will confirm your journey with you. After this, you don’t need to take any further action, unless advised by St John Ambulance.

Will my transport pick me up again?

Yes, all patients that need a return journey will have a return journey booked at the same time, if needed. We are committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for our patients. Our crew will make sure that patients are as settled as possible, and we will wait as long as we need to, even if your appointment is running late. We will try to collect you for your return journey and get you home as soon as we can.

What should I bring with me?

Please be sure to bring any paperwork and medication that you need for your appointment and during your journey. Please sure you bring any paperwork and medication that you need for your appointment and during your journey. Space is limited in the vehicles, so please don’t bring lots of extra luggage. Depending on the length of your journey, we may advise that you bring meals with you. Our ambulances don’t provide food, but water is available during your journey.

Cancellations

If your appointment is changed, or you cannot attend your appointment, please ring us as soon as possible on 0303 003 0106. This helps us to avoid wasted journeys by our crew.

St John Ambulance crew member transporting patient

Contact our Ambulance Operations team

Email: ambulance-services@sja.org.uk

Phone: 0303 003 0106

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Our non-emergency patient transport services for: