Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of patient access to community transport for the purposes of attending hospital appointments in rural areas.

No such assessment will be made. Community transport is a matter for the Department for Transport.

The provision of patient transport services (PTS) in line with national guidance is a matter for local National Health Service commissioners. These services are provided on the basis of medical need, regardless of location. PTS eligibility criteria are outlined in the document Eligibility Criteria for Patient Transport Services.

For patients who are not eligible on medical grounds for PTS, but have a low income and receive a qualifying benefit or allowance, refunds for the cost of travelling to hospitals for treatment may also be claimed under the ‘Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme’. Further details about this scheme can be found at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/healthcosts/pages/travelcosts.aspx