When people spoke up about patient transport, things started to change
For many, getting to hospital is not simple. It can mean long journeys across rural areas, limited public transport, and relying on lifts or taxis that are not always available or affordable. When that breaks down, so does access to care.
We heard from 225 people across York and North Yorkshire, most of them from North Yorkshire.
Around 4 in 10 people said they had missed or cancelled appointments at least sometimes because they could not get transport. Others told us they were facing long, exhausting journeys or simply had no safe way of getting there.
This followed changes in 2025, when the rules on who qualifies for NHS patient transport were tightened. These rules are set nationally and applied locally across Yorkshire. For some people, that meant support they had relied on was no longer there.
If you want to understand the changes in more detail, or read about people's experiences, you can read the full patient transport report here.
What is changing as a result
What people told us has been picked up by NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, which plans and pays for most local NHS care, as well as local hospital trusts that run hospitals in the area.
At York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, volunteer drivers from community transport schemes can now park for free at hospital sites in places like York Hospital and Scarborough Hospital. This makes it easier for drivers to wait and support patients who need help getting in and out of appointments.
At South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, a new bus service is being introduced to link rural areas in North Yorkshire with The James Cook University Hospital and the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton. This will support around 8 to 12 patients a day, where there is currently no direct option.
The same trust is also increasing the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles, following feedback from people who said they could not find suitable transport.
At York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, clearer information about the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme is now available online, after people told us they did not know they could claim help with travel costs.
In short, what has changed?
- New bus links connecting rural North Yorkshire with James Cook and Friarage hospitals
- More wheelchair accessible vehicles being introduced
- Free parking for volunteer drivers at York and Scarborough hospitals
- Clearer information about help with travel costs
Looking at how care fits around people
People told us that getting to multiple appointments, often on different days and in different places, made things harder.
At South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, teams are reducing the need to travel by offering telephone appointments where appropriate, particularly in cancer care, and looking at how diagnostics and treatment can be brought closer to people’s homes.
At York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, some teams are coordinating care more closely. For example, retinal screening teams are looking at when people are already attending appointments at York Hospital and other sites, so checks can be done on the same day rather than requiring another journey.
There has also been a focus on where clinics are held. At York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, musculoskeletal (MSK) teams, who support people with joint, muscle and back problems, have been reviewing where clinics take place across North Yorkshire so they are easier to reach, rather than always being based at a single hospital site.
Alongside this, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is increasing the use of one stop clinics and community diagnostic hubs, so people can have tests and appointments in one place where possible, rather than travelling multiple times.
What this means for people in North Yorkshire
The changes now being made matter because of what people were facing before.
For many, transport was the difference between getting care and missing out altogether.
Around 9 in 10 people said they had needed help getting to a medical appointment in the past year.
People told us they were cancelling appointments because they could not afford the journey, spending hours travelling, or relying heavily on family and friends. For some, there was no safe or suitable option available.
In rural parts of North Yorkshire, including the Dales, the coast, and areas like Ryedale and Hambleton, these challenges can be even greater because of distance and limited transport options.
When someone is already dealing with a health condition, that extra stress and uncertainty can take its toll.
One person told us:
“I have used patient transport for 10 years… and then it stopped. I don’t know why.”
Why speaking up matters
What has been clear through all of this is the difference people’s experiences can make.
What started as individual stories about missed appointments, long journeys and rising costs has led to real changes in how support is being improved across North Yorkshire and the wider area.
There is still more to do, and not everyone will feel the difference straight away. But this shows that speaking up can lead to change.
Healthwatch will continue to share what people tell us and push for improvements so that getting to healthcare is not a barrier.
