Refused patient transport

pollyd

I have had 3 appointments so far with pt however on my 4th visit after waiting 3 and half hours to be picked up I got a taxi. They then told me I would be declined any further transport and use taxis. However I had a fall and cannot walk very far I have osteoarthritis in both hips and knee and need hospital transport for many sppointments I cannot easily get into a taxi. Can I ask them to take me to the appointments as I am a pensioner

Albus_Scope

Hey there @pollyd and welcome to the community.

I'm sorry to hear they've declined you further transport. Did they give you any reasons as to why they came to that decision?

Elizabeth100

Hello Pollyd, I'm sorry you've had such problems - it's very frustrating.

Yes, maybe ask why you cannot get pt for each appointment anymore; you can also ask them what the POLICY is (I don't mean to shout at you at all, but I want to indicate that there should be a policy for this form of transport). You could also ask them what you should do for transport if they are not providing it anymore. Good luck.

Best wishes, Elizabeth

Steve_in_The_City

MW123

@Steve_in_The_City

I noticed your post and just wanted to reach out and say I hope your operation last week went smoothly and that you are recovering well. xx

Steve_in_The_City

@MW123 Thank you for thinking of me. The operation went well and I am recovering well (at home) and hope to be up and running as usual in 9 or 10 days time. Thankfully no pain, just a little discomfort, and I am able to go out for a short ride on my mobility scooter, so not climbing the walls with cabin fever! So I guess I am lucky. Anyway, thank you for asking; I do appreciate it.

@pollyd Last night I attempted to make a detailed reply to your post, but somehow my response disappeared off the Scope system, so here is my 2nd try:

PT is intended for people who have no other means of getting to hospital. You took a cab. This would indicate that you do have alternative means to get to hospital (even though I understand it may have been very difficult and frustrating for you). This doesn't mean you won't get pt in future. I answered a question incorrectly and was refused transport. I missed my appointment. I rescheduled and applied for pt. This time I answered correctly and they supplied transport.

A few years ago I asked for transport but was refused by someone who didn't know their job. She said in order to qualify for transport I had to be in the position where I had to be carried out of my flat on a stretcher. I immediately complained to PALS and within just a day or two someone phoned me and whilst not admitting liability did nevertheless apologise and arranged transport for me. Since then, with this particular hospital, I have never since been questioned when requesting pt.

As for waiting times you have to grin and bear it. I have to be ready for the outward trip 2 hours beforehand. If I am in as a day patient I never have to wait long for the return trip home, 30 to 40 minutes. If I am an in-patient it can take hours on end. Last Friday I had to wait 8 hours to be taken home. Some people aren't taken home until the next day. You just have to tolerate it.

vikki66

Hi, hope everybody is well.

PT is for patients who have a clinical need for transport that can’t be met by other methods of transport. By clinical need I mean eg you use oxygen (which you wouldn’t be able to do on public transport), or you are in ESKF, or severely immuno-compromised, or are going in for chemo, or many other illnesses. Steve you had a clinical need, so you qualified.

This is what I know from experience, but I didn’t make the rules: less clinically-severe conditions don’t qualify you, and neither does age alone, or saying you can’t afford a taxi, or that you don’t have anybody to accompany you. It’s about establishing a relevant clinical need, as per whatever the board’s guidelines are.

Polly, if you were able to go in a taxi, and didn’t have a substantial clinical need, they would’ve refused you PT.

If a person is on low income and can’t afford transport, they can usually reclaim bus or train fare, or exceptionally a taxi (if pre-arranged with the health board in advance). They also encourage you, if you don’t meet the clinical needs test, but eg have slight mobility issues, or are older, to reschedule your appt to fit in with a friend or family member who can take you.

Examples of people on the PT in the last few months: patient whose organ transplant is failing who’s going in for dialysis and who needs to use oxygen; patient whose head had been ravaged by brain cancer to the extent that it’s eaten away down to the bone at one side, has one eye missing, has lost his tongue and half of his teeth. Patient with stage 4 cancer, going in for treatment. Elderly patient with dementia who needed a medical procedure. You can see why the transport can’t be packed with people who don’t meet the clinical needs criteria.

There can be short-term clinical needs, or longer term. Eg if you were undergoing a course of chemo, but then recovered, you wouldn’t four years later be entitled to transport if you needed a few blood tests.

There are different services in various places that offer alternatives to PT. Eg after organ transplant you can’t travel with other patients on the PT for six weeks after you get out, so are picked up by a car (not associated with PT service). Some places have organisations who help older people who are maybe starting to get frail but don’t have the clinical need. Social work (if involved) can sometimes support vulnerable people to appointments they’d otherwise miss. If people don’t have a clinical need they should check to see if there are other options in their area.

Sometimes we’ve had difficulty getting through on the phone when trying to book, and asked have in conversation “busy day today?” only to find that it’s maybe been a day when multiple people with no substantial need for PT have been clogging the phones saying things like “I need the transport because the last time I had an appt it took me 15 minutes to find a parking space.”

As Steve said re the waiting times the patients grin and bear it. They’re grateful to be taken to the appointment, and home again, by the patient transport.

As you can tell I’ve had experience of PT, and know how valuable it is when somebody is in real need of it.

Hope this gives anybody reading a better idea of what PT is for.

Elizabeth100

Hello Vikki, thank you so much for putting so much into your response - it gives us all plenty of advice that we can follow, much appreciated, best wishes to you, Elizabeth

vikki66

Hi @Elizabeth100

It’s a pleasure if it helps anybody.

Best wishes back to you too!