HEALTHY PEOPLE HEALTHY LIVES HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
Welcome to Patient Transport Service (PTS) information. This section contains information regarding the changes to the Eligibility Criteria for PTS in Oldham and the North West of England.
PTS throughout the North West is provided by the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NWAS). It provides pre-planned non-urgent transport to and from hospital outpatient or clinic appointments. Although the vehicles used to transport patients are called ambulances, they should not be confused with the emergency ambulances which respond to 999 calls. The services outlined here are not part of the emergency service.
In line with requirements set out by the Department of Health, important changes have had to be made to PTS to ensure that those with a real medical need are able to receive assistance in getting to and from their hospital outpatients or clinic appointments.
Up until now there have been variations throughout the region as to how criteria were applied in order to decide whether patients could qualify for transport. A fairer system has now been introduced which will mean that all patients who book transport with PTS will be assessed in the same way, no matter where they live or where they book.
NHS Oldham is responsible for booking patient transport journeys and they pass all bookings onto the ambulance service. From now on if you request transport to your appointment, you will be asked to complete a simple assessment which is a series of questions – no medical examination is required. Once completed, the booking officer will immediately advise you as to whether or not you are eligible for transport.
Here are a series of questions and answers which we hope will tell you everything you need to know.
What is happening?
Following a comprehensive review of PTS across the North West over the last 18 months, the 24 Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) agreed the need to improve access to the service and for consistent eligibility criteria for patients requesting ambulance transport to pre-planned clinic and hospital outpatient appointments. It is important to note that this in no way affects emergency ambulance provision.
Five “early adopter” areas within the region have tested the new eligibility assessment process which commenced in October 2010. This is now being widened to encompass the whole of the North West and has ensured a period of assessment and the ability to assess the impact on patient groups. The early adopter sites were:
• NHS Bolton • NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale • NHS Central and Eastern Cheshire • NHS East Lancashire • NHS Cumbria.
In addition, NHS Oldham introduced its own pilot scheme to assess the implications of the changes to the service. The scheme (which included a number of GP practices in Oldham) began in March 2011 to identify any issues and to ensure appropriate assessment and access to PTS for patients. This was important to ensure those patients who needed transport received it and that a quality service was delivered.
Why is this happening?
Implementing consistent eligibility criteria for the use of PTS comes from the Department of Health’s national policy document “Eligibility Criteria for Patient Transport Services”. This document outlines the need for a uniformed approach to services throughout the country and states what criteria patients must meet in order to use ambulance transport to and from pre-planned clinic and hospital appointments.
What will happen to the people who are refused / do not meet the eligibility criteria? Those who do not have a genuine medical need for ambulance transport will be advised on what other means are available to them such as public transport. If, due to social circumstances, they are unable to meet the cost of travelling for the treatment, advice regarding the Hospital Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) will be provided. PCTs are only able to provide transport based on medical need.
If anyone is unhappy with the outcome of their assessment and the matter cannot be resolved at the time of booking, they will be advised on the routes they can take for appeal which will be via the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) (click here for contact details).
Why has the eligibility criteria not been applied before?
The North West region covers an area of 5,400 square miles and encompasses 24 PCTs and 38 NHS hospital trusts. Previously individual PCTs commissioned PTS services independently and since the merger of the four ambulance trusts in the region, have continued to do so. For 18 months a comprehensive review has taken place which identified differences in how the criteria for eligibility was applied and that work is now complete.
How do you determine what transport people are eligible for?
Eligible patients are those where:
• A patient’s medical condition requires the skills or support of PTS staff either during or after the journey • It would be detrimental to the patient’s condition or recovery if they were to travel by any other means • A patient’s medical condition impacts upon their mobility to such an extent that they would be unable to access healthcare • A person is recognised as a parent/guardian of a child travelling.
A patient’s eligibility for PTS will be assessed either by a healthcare professional or by non-clinically qualified staff who are both:
• Clinically supervised and / or working within locally agreed policies/guidelines • Employed by the NHS or working under contract for the NHS.
If you have any queries about the new assessments, please contact the local appointment centre on 0161 627 7494.
In addition, NHS Oldham's Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is available to provide advice and discuss aspects of your NHS care:
Freephone: 0800 389 8679 Tel: 0161 621 3618 / 3619 / 3620 / 3836 Text: 07971 307723 Fax: 0161 621 3837 Email: olp-pct.pals@nhs.net
PALS is open Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. Outside these times, you can leave a message on their 24-hour answer machine.