Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of amending the Non-Emergency patient transport policy on (a) people on low incomes, (b) vulnerable people and (c) disabled people.

NHS England’s review of non-emergency patient transport services (NEPTS) introduced a new national framework to ensure more responsive, fair and sustainable services. NHS England undertook an equality and health inequalities assessment which considered the impact of the review and its findings to ensure there were no negative impacts or unintended consequences. NHS England also engaged with providers, commissioners and patient groups to understand the impact of changes, with a public consultation on the proposed eligibility criteria.

In the updated guidance, commissioners and providers are reminded that service design and communications should be appropriate and accessible to meet the needs of diverse population groups and take into account the relevant duties under statutes such as the Equality Act. In addition, each system should complete a localised equality and health inequalities assessment and quality impact assessment as part of the local implementation process.

NHS England advises that local systems can consider adding further criteria when determining eligibility for NEPTS, such as a very high frequency of treatment, long distances to travel or high costs of travel, and/or limited public transport options.