Getting to healthcare: what people told us about patient transport
Over recent months, people have told Healthwatch North Yorkshire and Healthwatch York they are struggling to get to hospital appointments because they no longer qualify for non emergency patient transport. Others have said the support available is unclear, inconsistent, or not realistic for where they live and the help they have around them.
We have published a report bringing together what people told us, alongside what community transport providers are seeing as demand rises and services try to fill the gaps with limited resources.
Thanks to people sharing their experiences, Healthwatch has made recommendations on what needs to change and is asking those responsible for patient transport to explain what action they will take.
What is non emergency patient transport?
Non emergency patient transport is for people who cannot travel safely to appointments due to medical or mobility needs.
Non emergency patient transport is planned transport to and from appointments. It is different from emergency ambulances and 999 services.
Eligibility rules are set nationally by NHS England and updated in 2022. The changes to the criteria aimed to give patients more clarity on who is eligible for transport and to ensure that where relevant, they have appropriate access to patient transport. Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust adopted the changes across Yorkshire from 1 April 2025, with the revised criteria introduced in NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board on 27 May 2025.
What the national criteria are based on
The national eligibility criteria are based on the idea that most people should be able to travel to and from hospital independently using private or public transport, with help from friends or family if needed. This means that if someone is assessed as able to travel with support from a friend, family member or carer, they may not qualify for non emergency patient transport.
Eligibility is assessed on an individual basis, taking account of medical needs, mobility, safety, and how someone would otherwise travel.
Read the NHS England eligibility criteria
If someone does not qualify for NHS funded patient transport, they may be able to claim help with travel costs through the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme if they are on a low income or receive certain benefits.
Who is responsible for what
To avoid confusion, it is also helpful to be clear about who is responsible for setting the rules, who introduces them, and who provides the transport.
- NHS England sets the national eligibility rules
- NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board commissions the service locally, including service requirements
- Yorkshire Ambulance Service delivers patient transport locally under contract, but is not responsible for changing the national eligibility rules.
- In other areas, patient transport may be delivered by a different provider.
What Healthwatch did
We heard from local people in a few different ways. Along with Healhwatch York, we ran a survey between September and October 2025, which was available online and in paper format. We also included feedback shared with us through our usual channels since April 2025.
In total, we heard from hundreds of people across North Yorkshire and York.
We wanted to find out about the effects on people, as well as the wider transport barriers that can stop people getting to and from NHS healthcare in our hospitals.
What people told Healthwatch
People described how changes to eligibility can have a big impact on everyday life, especially for people who are older, disabled, living with long term conditions, on low incomes, or living in rural areas with limited public transport.
People described how changes to eligibility affect everyday life and health outcomes for local residents. Key issues included:
- people being told they are not eligible because someone could take them, even when that is not realistic in practice
- confusion about the rules and how decisions are made
- missed or delayed appointments, or people feeling they have no choice but to cancel
- financial pressure, including the cost of taxis and long journeys
- increased reliance on friends, family and community transport providers, and people feeling guilty about asking for help
“I was told I’m not eligible because someone could take me, but that just isn’t realistic. I don’t have anyone who can do a four hour round trip, and I can’t manage public transport on my own
What needs to change
Our report sets out recommendations mainly for NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, the local organisation in charge of planning how NHS money is spent.
The report is also being shared with City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council, particularly in relation to public and community transport.
People told us what could make a difference. Based on what we heard, we are calling for action to:
- make information clearer so people understand what support is available and how decisions are made
- improve consistency and fairness in how eligibility is applied
- reduce the risk of people missing care because they have no workable travel option
- recognise and plan for the pressure being placed on families and community transport providers
What we are asking for
We are asking for a written response setting out:
- how the issues raised will be addressed, including actions and timescales
- how information and decision making will be made clearer for patients and carers
- how people will be supported so they are not left without a workable way to attend healthcare appointments
We are also sharing the report with local hospitals. Transport barriers can lead to missed appointments and poorer experiences, and hospital trusts can help by improving information, signposting and how transport needs are identified, even where commissioning decisions sit elsewhere.
Read the full report
You can read the full report here:
