Non-emergency patient transport is an important service for those who cannot attend hospital, outpatient appointments, community clinics or get home after a hospital admission by any other means. NHS-funded transport does not cover journeys to GPs, dentists, pharmacies and opticians.
How do I know if I am eligible for non-emergency patient transport?
Patients who would like help with transport to healthcare appointments will need to have an assessment which will determine your medical needs and what support you will need on the journey.
The assessment may be done face to face with the doctor or nurse who is responsible for your care, or it could be done over the phone with the transport assessment and booking team.
Details of the Eligibility Criteria for Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS) in Mid and South Essex is available to download:
NEPTS eligibility criteria 2023 (pdf, 166kb)
What if I am not eligible for patient transport?
If you are not eligible for NHS-funded patient transport details of community transport can be found on the Essex highways website.
Need help with travel costs?
If you are not eligible for NHS-funded patient transport and need help to pay for the costs of transport to your healthcare appointments, you may be able to claim a refund through the national Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme. We apply the rates in line with HM Revenue and Customs advisory fuel rates.
More information can be found on our Health Travel Costs Scheme page.
Mid and South Essex Patients
Non-emergency patient transport service for Mid and South Essex is provided by HTG UK, formerly Thames Ambulance Service Limited.
Transport with HTG UK will usually be booked by your healthcare professional. However, patients can contact HTG UK by calling 0808 169 9614.
Further information can be found on the HTG UK via their website.
Feedback and queries
If you would like to raise any compliments, concerns or complaints about patient transport then you can contact HTG UK by phone, email or post using the details below.
Telephone – 0808 164 4696
Email- patientexperience@htg-uk.com
HTG UK
Harrison Place,
Whisby Way,
Lincoln,
LN6 3AH
Travelling to a hospital outside of Mid and South Essex?
In some cases, Patient transport services for out of area hospitals are arranged directly through the hospitals themselves. Details of these hospitals and contact details are shown in the table below.
Therefore, patients or their advocates need to contact the hospital patient transport service directly to arrange appointments. Please note some of these hospitals require the referral to be made by the patient’s GP.
Patients will be assessed for eligibility in accordance with the hospital’s own eligibility criteria.
| No. | Excluded London Trusts from the Scope of this Contract | Transport Provider | Contact Number |
| 1 | Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospital NHS Trust (includes Queens Hospital and King George’s Hospital) | G4S 1st appt. requires GP or HCP referral for PTS. PTS requirements for follow up appts. are made by the clinic/department attending | Queens Hospital: 01708 435 590 King George’s Hospital: 0208 970 8101 |
| 2 | Bart’s Health NHS Trust (includes St. Bartholomew’s and The Royal London) | Serco | 0330 041 6767 |
| 3 | Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Trust | PTS is arranged in house by the appointment staff on the appt. booking line | 0203 315 6666 |
| 4 | Great Ormond Street Hospital | PTS is arranged in house by the ward or clinic direct. Patient to contact ward/clinic for eligibility check once appt. has been made | 0207 405 9200 |
| 5 | Guys & St Thomas Hospital | Essentia | 0207 188 2888 |
| 6 | Homerton University Hospital | Patient Transport Centre 1st appt. requires GP or HCP referral for PTS. Follow up appts. can be booked by the patient via the In-House Hospital Transport Team | Outpatient Clinic: 0208 510 7777 Bryning Unit: 0208 510 8941 |
| 7 | Imperial College Healthcare (includes Charing Cross Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital, Queen Charlottes and Chelsea Hospital, St Mary’s Hospital Sidcup and Western Eye Hospital) | Falck | Transport Booking Team: 0330 678 1245 Escalation Contact: 0330 678 1245 |
| 8 | Kings College Hospital (includes Denmark Hill, Princess Royal Hospital, Orpington Hospital, Beckenham Beacon and Queen Mary’s) | Kings College PTS Provider – Medical Services PRUH, OH, BB and QMH – Savoy Ventures | Denmark Hill: 0203 299 8000 All Other Hospitals: 0203 299 6886 |
| 9 | Moorfields Eye Hospital | DHL | 0333 240 4909 |
| 10 | Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust | Transport advice available on the Royal Brompton NHS website | 0300 013 4995 0207 351 8012 |
| 11 | Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust | Patient Transport Assessment Centre | 0333 240 4909 |
| 12 | Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital | G4S | 0800 953 4138 |
| 13 | St Georges Healthcare (includes Queens Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton) | St Georges and St. John’s Therapy Centre Patient Transport Assessment Team Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton Requires GP or HCP referral for PTS | 0208 725 0808 0208 487 6000 |
| 14 | The Royal Marsden (includes Sutton and Chelsea Hospitals) | Patient Transport Assessment Team Sutton Hospital Chelsea Hospital | 0208 661 3427 0207 811 8305 |
| 15 | Whittington Health NHS Trust | DHL | 0333 240 4909 |
| 16 | University College London Hospital (includes National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square) | London Ambulance Services 1st appt. requires GP or HCP referral for PTS. Follow up appts. can be booked by the Transport Assessment Team | 0203 456 7010 |