NHS Transport

Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme

Criteria for support: Must be in receipt of one of the below benefits

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• You receive Universal Credit and meet the criteria

You can also claim for help with travel costs if:

• you're named on, or entitled to, an NHS tax credit exemption certificate (if you do not have a certificate, you can show your award notice) – you qualify if you get child tax credits, working tax credits with a disability element (or both), and have income for tax credit purposes of £15,276 or less
• you have a low income and are named on certificate HC2 (full help) or HC3 (limited help) – you can apply for these certificates through the NHS Low Income Scheme

Initially the costs are paid by the patient, and then they can claim this back from the cashier’s office at the hospital they are receiving treatment from. 

Visit the NHS website

Patient Transport: university Hospitals Sussex

If you are having trouble getting to your appointment you may be entitled to use the hospital transport service provided by South Central Ambulance Service. They provide transport for some people who are unable to use public transport due to their medical condition

Visit the University Hospitals Sussex website

Non-emergency Patient Transport Services

We provide Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services to numerous Clinical Commissioning Groups, NHS Foundation Trusts, and private healthcare providers. We can provide one-off journey for a patient, work on a short-term basis to provide additional support at peak demand times, or on a longer-term contractual and framework basis. 

Our non-emergency patient transport service includes:

• Bariatric transport services
• Medical repatriation
• End of life/hospice transport
• Home visits for assessments and discharges
• Long distance transfers and discharges to anywhere within the UK and beyond
• Inter-facility transfers
• Transport to and from hospital admissions, outpatient clinics, and specialist clinics

Before booking transport with St John Ambulance, please check you are not eligible for NHS transport. Eligibility is determined by your medical need, risks to your health and the medical reason why you cannot use private or public transport. 

Visit the St John's Ambulance website

Adur and Worthing Voluntary Transport

They provide a door to door service, and the driver will stay with them for up to 90 minutes if required, offering companionship, reassurance and assistance at hospitals before returning you home. Charged on the mileage covered, not on the time involved. The cost is 60p per mile. There is a minimum charge of £4.00 for the first 3 miles.

Visit the Adur and Worthing website

Dial-A-Ride

Dial-A-Ride service is designed to help people gain access to transport to get to where they need to be. The service is available to anyone who finds it difficult to access public transport by way of mobility, or simply living in area with poor transport links. Dial-A-Ride will pick you up from your door in a wheelchair accessible minibus or other suitable vehicle, with a trained driver who can help you get from A to B as smoothly as possible. We can take you to the local shops or garden centre, to medical appointments or perhaps to see your friends or family

Visit the Dial-A-Ride website

Arun Community Transport

ACT is an organisation run by volunteers offering to drive people who find it difficult to access public transport or where public transport is not available for appointments, such as:

• Doctors
• Hospitals
• Dentists

As well as trips providing social inclusion, such as:

• Clubs
• Shopping
• Hairdressers/Barbers
• Visiting friends and family

To use our service, you need to register as a client of Arun Community Transport. A small annual fee is payable, currently £5.00

Visit the Arun Community Transport website