Patient Transport

[mrs_overall]

Does anyone know the criteria for eligibility? It can't be down to benefits as I have a wealthy friend in West Yorkshire who is attending a hospital in Sheffield and patient transport (a taxi) is provided.

[LoftyLottie]

And we certainly couldn't afford taxis for regular appointments.

[mrs_overall]

Thanks lottie xx

[gness]

Mrs O. Apologies if I helped turn this from advice wanted to an argument. I just get so angry with the pomposity of some people who have never been in the...god what on earth do we do now...situation and glibly tell us what we should do when we bloody well can`t, much as we would love to be able to.

Best wishes to MrO. x

[gness]

And really Sqad and Ron if you couldn`t have just answered the question at a time like this you should have stayed quiet.

[DTCwordfan]

Note to self re Sqad's logic.

House up for sale and look for place in London close to Kings or St Thomas's. Do this early before all Cornwall and Devon move up to the City as Derrisford and Treliske are crap.

Seriously, yes we all chose to live in different parts of the country for whatever reasons.....but we can't chose what diseases and inflictions will affect us, well some can be linked to genetics but still..... Most families move heaven and earth as to their ill ones and still it may not be enough - and that is what is being argued, quite rightly, by gness and Mrs O (for different parts if the UK)......try the cancer treatment from here to Derrisford, 140 miles each time for radiation and no bloody motorways to speed the journey up.

[gness]

Hi DT. When I think of the help you offered me when I was simply stuck in Devon and compare it with the holier than thou attitudes of some I could cry.

Kindness maketh the man. x

[karenmac60]

And what if you live right beside a perfectly good hospital that has all its services cut back due to 'centralisation'? It must be wonderful to be perfect....

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

Sqad you need a sit down and a cup of tea with real life.
I lost my job at the same time as I got ill. I had to sell my car to try to keep the roof over my head (I failed).
I lived 16 miles from a hospital either way and without my care I would have died.
What do you think I should have done?
I will remain eternally grateful for the transport I got.

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

Oh and the DHP took a full 6 months to pay me a penny. I ran the wells of my friends dry.

[tinkerbell23]

I would like to wish mr O all the best xx

[gness]

Karen. It`s not the "perfection" that has seriously pi**ed me off tonight. It`s that a lovely person who would jump through hoops for others has asked, at a worrying time, for advice about patient transport and has had to read the priggish posts from those lucky enough not to be in her position or indeed the position I was in.

[murraymints]

Mrs O..sorry to hear of your travails...most large hossies operate volunteer drivers for outpatient appts...my uncle used to do this in Carlisle..he would ferry patients all over the place..ask the patient services in Leeds...

[Mirandajane]

I am not sure if there is any real criteria.
My mother and myself were out shopping once and a block of snow dropped off the roof of the shopping centre on to her head.
People were concerned and an ambulance was called.
The paramedics thought she should go to the hospital as a pecaution in view of her age etc.
Unwisely I went in the ambulance with Mum. I think I should have got the car and taken it to the hospital and I will do this in future.
Somehow I got talking to a Patient Transport driver and he was only waiting for 2 people and his ambulance had about 12 seats.
He asked what direction we were going in and he said he was going that way.
He called for authorisation and he gave us a lift back to the car.

Miranda

[China Doll]

I think if the nearest hospital to you can not provide the treatment then the transport department may be able to help if Mr O has mobility issues.

[factor-fiction]

Hi Mirandjane- MrsO is asking about having to pay for regular trips for hospital visits rather than when an ambulance is called following an accident

[phleb]

it should be ok for you to have this. What we do is arrange this when we book an appointment at the patients request. Next time an appointment is booked, mention you will require transport. This should then be arranged.

[murraymints]

Phleb... I suspect the complication is that mr and mrs O are outwith the normal daily travelling distance for hospital transport..but he needs to get there nevertheless..

[bednobs]

hiya, it would be most unusual for there not to be a volunteer transport scheme in your town. However, you do still have to pay for that, but it's much cheaper than taxis. I found after my knee replacement using the vol transport when i couldn't drive was even cheaper than driving my own car. Hospital transport is probably restricted to people with a medical need, however each hospital probably have their own definition of "medical need" which your husband may or may not fall into. I know you have said no-one can take him but it would really be in his best interests if you could find someone or go to vol transport because the hospital transport pick you up about 3 hrs in advance of your appt, go all round the houses with ill people coughing and spluttering all over you you have a 10 minute appt then have to wait another 5 hours to get home

[brenda]

Oh Sqad---- letting yourself down a tad on this one---very disappointing my old son.

[mrs_overall]

Thank you all for your good wishes and comments

Sqad and Whiskeryron have not helped with my query but they are entitled to their opinions