EMED Patient Care provides non-emergency patient transport services (NEPTS) to eligible patients living in Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Royston.
Advice for patients
Who can use hospital transport?
Patients are normally expected to make their own way to and from hospital for non-emergency tests and treatments as well as when discharged.
However, this may not be possible if you have a medical condition that prevents you from travelling any other way, such as public transport or taxis including wheelchair taxis. Where necessary, hospital transport will be provided for both inpatient stays and outpatient appointments.
What are the criteria for hospital transport?
There are clear and consistent national criteria based on medical need for patients to qualify for hospital transport. This criteria applies to both outpatient appointments and discharges from an inpatient stay.
Usually, NEPTS is available to you if:
- Your medical condition means you cannot use other forms of transport without damaging your health.
- Your mobility means that you would be unable to use any other means of transport – for example, stretcher patients.
- You need the skills and support of specialist patient transport staff – for example, to administer oxygen during the journey.
To find out more information please visit Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - EMED Group (opens in a new tab).
Who decides if you are eligible?
Hospital transport can be arranged by telephoning the EMED bookings and enquiries help desk on 0300 777 5555.
A patient’s eligibility for transport is considered by the services above each time it is requested, because your medical condition and transport needs may have changed.
Who provides the hospital transport?
The provider for non-emergency patient transport in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area will be Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - EMED Group (opens in a new tab). If you are outside of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area you should contact your GP surgery or local Integrated Care System (ICS) to find out who your local provider is
For outpatients
- If you are unable to attend your appointment or have arranged to make your own way to and from the hospital, please contact 0300 777 5555 to cancel your transport. Please also remember to cancel your hospital appointment.
- Please allow at least 24 hours’ notice to arrange or cancel transport.
- Please ensure you are ready to be collected up to two hours before your appointment.
- Transport may sometimes be late due to unavoidable delays but every effort will be made to get you to your appointment on time.
- Please bring these with you:
- appointment letter
- any medication and its packaging
- hearing aid and glasses
- Key to your home
- Please be aware you may need to share hospital transport with other patients, and therefore have to wait until those patients are also ready to go home.
- Please let outpatient clinic staff know that you are using hospital transport so they can ensure your appointment is kept to time and that you are ready for your return journey home.
For more information please visit Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - EMED Group (opens in a new tab)
For inpatients being discharged
The same eligibility criteria as described above applies with regards to inpatients being discharged. These are:
- Your medical condition means you cannot use other forms of transport without damaging your health.
- Your mobility means that you would be unable to use any other means of transport – for example, stretcher patients.
- You need the skills and support of specialist patient transport staff – for example, to administer oxygen during the journey.
We encourage all patients to make appropriate plans to return home following an inpatient stay, if you are unable to get home by yourself, consider other options such as family or friends. If you are using non-emergency patient transport:
- It is important you are ready when your transport arrives on the ward.
- If Transport is unavoidably delayed every effort will be made to collect you from the ward promptly.
- Please be aware you may need to share hospital transport with other patients, and therefore have to wait until those patients are also ready to go home.
For more information please visit Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - EMED Group (opens in a new tab)
Other community transport options in Cambridgeshire
Contact Cambridgeshire Community Transport Community Transport (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) for further information on any of the following community options in Cambridgeshire:
Community Transport Schemes in Cambridgeshire
Community transport provides journeys for people who have difficulty using conventional public transport.
The majority of the community transport schemes are restricted to individuals meeting the following criteria:
- you do not have access to public transport and do not have access to your own car
- you experience difficulty using public transport i.e. because of a disability or age
- You are cut off from basic public services and facilities, like healthcare, because you live in a remote area or don’t have access to them.
Taxicard scheme leaflets
Taxicard schemes provide assistance towards the cost of taxi journeys for people who have difficulties getting or using public transport. Please visit the Taxicard pages on the Community Transport website (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) and select your local area for details.
Further information, concerns or complaints
- Please contact the EMED bookings and enquiries help desk on 0300 777 5555
- visit Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - EMED Group (opens in a new tab) or
- contact whoever made the booking (GP practice, call centre, outpatient clinic or hospital ward responsible for the patient’s care), or the local Patient and Advice Liaison Service (PALS).