Each patient should be able to get to and from the hospital in a reasonable time and in reasonable comfort without detriment to his or her medical condition.
Where it is needed, the Barnsley Hospital patient transport services aims to provide a quality, punctual and professional service that will support and complement the provision of health care at Barnsley Hospital.
The majority of patients coming to the hospital for an appointment do not need professional help to do this; they are able to transport themselves.
For some patients, travelling to hospital by public transport is impossible because of their medical condition. For these patients, we have a non-emergency transport service that offers the patient the ability to get to and from hospital with trained medical personnel who can assist them throughout their journey.
Are you eligible?
Non-emergency patient transport will only be arranged where it is judged by a medically qualified professional that the patient’s health would suffer through the use of public or private transport.
To be eligible/qualify for patient transport the patient will have:
- A medical condition that affects their mobility so they cannot use public or private transport
- A need for the facilities available on an ambulance (i.e. oxygen)
- The need for the help of a crew in order to travel safely.
If you feel you have a medical need for transport but are not sure if you are eligible, please contact your doctor or nurse to discuss this.
Booking and cancelling
If you are eligible, the department or ward can book you the necessary transport. Alternatively, you can contact Yorkshire Ambulance Service direct on 0300 330 2000.
Please note that patient transport must be requested at least 48 hours prior to your appointment.
If transport is booked for you and your appointment is either changed or cancelled for any reason, please remember to contact us so that we can change the transport booking as well.
If you need to cancel or rearrange transport because your circumstances have changed, please call us on Yorkshire Ambulance Service direct on 0300 330 2000.
Please remember that you will be asked questions to determine your eligibility for transport each time you call, to save our time check your eligibility or read our frequently asked questions below.
Escorts or companions
Relatives are asked to meet the patient at the hospital. The patient transport service provides skilled and qualified staff who will in most cases fully meet the needs of patients during their journey.
From July 2010, relatives, carers or friends (escorts) may no longer be able to accompany you on your trip to NHS premises.
The exceptions will be parents or carers accompanying all children (under 16 years of age) or adults who are considered to be vulnerable. A vulnerable adult can be someone who has a mental disability, such as dementia or a learning disability.
Frequently asked questions
Here are answers to a few common questions people ask when using the Barnsley Hospital Patient Transport service:
I have been granted patient transport before, will I need to confirm I am still eligible when I next request transport for an appointment?
Yes. While we appreciate some people’s circumstances will not change in-between their hospital appointments, for other patients there will be a change in their medical condition that will affect their eligibility or transport requirements. This means that every time you request transport for an appointment, we will need to discuss your medical requirements.
I do not qualify for non-emergency patient transport. How else can I get to and from the hospital?
There are a number of options available to you. Please look at our ‘alternative transport options’ section for the different methods of transport available to you.
If the cost of travelling to and from the hospital is an issue, please look at our ‘help with travel costs’ section as travel costs may be reimbursable if you are in receipt of certain benefits.
I think I qualify for non-emergency patient transport, but I want my friend to accompany me to hospital. Can they join me in the vehicle?
Relatives and friends are asked to meet the patient at the hospital. The Patient Transport Service provides skilled and qualified staff who will in most cases fully meet the needs of patients during their journey.
In certain situations, an escort will be allowed to travel (please see our ‘escorts and companions’ section for this list) but in any other situation, this request will be refused to ensure all seats in our patient transport are given to other patients who are also attending hospital for an appointment.
I have not been asked to confirm why I am eligible for non-emergency patient transport before. Why are you making changes to this service?
We have to make changes to this service. We only have a limited amount of resources available to provide this service and we have to make sure the resources are used on the patients who really need them.
We are now putting measures in place to ensure only those who are eligible for this service, receive the transport they really need to attend the hospital and those who are not eligible for this service are made aware of the alternative transport and financial options available to them.