Help with travel
Patient transport service
In limited circumstances, we provide transport for patients to attend hospital appointments.
You may be able to use our patient transport service if:
- you have a disability or a medical condition that means you are unable to use public transport
- you need the support of medical staff while you travel
- you are having, or have had, surgery or treatment that affects how you can move
- your condition could deteriorate (get worse) with little or no warning
- you do not have friends or relatives available to transport you, and you have no other way of travelling to the hospital
Eligibility
We will assess whether you qualify for this service.
Contact us at least 2 working days before your appointment, but no more than 10 working days before your appointment. We cannot complete assessments outside of this notice period.
When you contact us we will complete your eligibility assessment. If you qualify, we’ll book transport for you.
If you come to the hospital regularly, you will be assessed for the length of your treatment, or every 3 months.
If you come to the hospital occasionally, you will be assessed each time you request transport.
How to book patient transport
Contact us on 020 3299 8000 (9am to 4.45pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays).
We will ask you for:
- your NHS number
- some medical information
- information about vehicle access to your property
- equipment required
- location
- timings.
Please have your appointment letter or text to hand.
A friend or relative can contact us on your behalf if needed.
If you are non-verbal you can email us on: [email protected]
Being collected
The patient transport team may contact you before, or on the day of, your appointment to confirm booking details. Please check you phone regularly on these days.
We advise you bring refreshments and any medication you need to your appointment.
When you get to hospital
Report to the reception desk at the clinic you are attending. The patient transport team will assist you to your clinic, if needed.
When you’re ready to go home
When you’re ready to go home, please wait in the clinic to be collected.
The clinic team may ask you to wait in the transport lounge. This is next to the Golden Jubilee Wing entrance. They can arrange for a hospital porter to escort you there.
When you arrive at the transport lounge, please check in at the reception desk.
Change or cancel your transport booking
To change or cancel your transport booking, call 020 3299 8000 during our office hours: 9am to 4.45pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays.
If you are non-verbal email [email protected]
If you do not cancel a booking that’s no longer needed, you may not be able to book transport with us in future.
Request a review of our decision
If we have not offered you patient transport but you think you need it, you can ask for a review. Please call 020 3299 6632 during our working hours.
You can also ask your GP for a letter that says why you need patient transport. The letter must be on the GP surgery’s headed paper and sent to:
- email: [email protected] or
- post: Patient transport service, Logistics department, 1st floor Unit 8, King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, SE5 9RS
Single-person transport (Lone travel)
We can only offer you single-person patient transport if you:
- are a transplant patient needing isolation, confirmed by a clinician
- are a cardiothoracic (heart and wider chest area including the lungs) surgery patient needing isolation, confirmed by a clinician
- have a vulnerable status, confirmed by a clinician
Request an escort
You can request an escort (usually a friend, family member, or carer) to travel with you on patient transport if you:
- are under 16 years old
- or need personal care assistance during your visit
- or need constant supervision during your visit
- or need help administering medication during your visit
If we have not offered you an escort but you think you need it, you can ask for a second interview. Please call 020 3299 6632
If you are not eligible to travel with your escort, they must make their own way to and from the hospital if they wish to attend with you.
We cannot authorise or add escorts to a booking on the day of travel.
Feedback on patient transport
Fill in this short survey to give us your feedback on using the patient transport service
Contact Patient Transport
Phone: 020 3299 8000
We answer this number Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.45pm, excluding bank holidays.
Help with travel costs
To get help with travel costs, you need to meet 3 conditions:
- At the time of your appointment, you or your partner (including civil partners) must receive one of the qualifying benefits or allowances listed on the NHS website or meet the eligibility criteria for the NHS low income scheme.
- You must have a referral from a healthcare professional to a specialist or a hospital for further NHS treatment or tests. This is often referred to as secondary care.
- Your appointment must be on a separate visit to when the referral was made. This applies whether your treatment is provided at a different location (hospital or clinic) or on the same premises as where the GP or another health professional issued the referral.
How to claim back your transport costs
Visit the Cash Office. You will need to bring:
- proof of qualifying benefits
- your appointment letter
- proof of travel on public transport or personal vehicle (we cannot reimburse taxi or minicab costs).
You can also speak to the Cash Office about making a claim by post. This needs to be made within three months of your appointment.
The Cash Office is open Monday to Friday, 8.45am to 1pm and 1.45pm to 4pm, excluding bank holidays.
Phone: 020 3299 3132
Address: Ground Floor, Cheyne Wing
Congestion Charge and ULEZ reimbursements
If you are clinically assessed as too ill to travel on public transport, you may be able to claim back congestion charge and ULEZ payments for journeys to and from hospital appointments.
Claiming back contactless payments
Travel costs paid by contactless payment or Oyster card can be reimbursed.
You can get a list of your journeys from the Transport for London (TfL) website. You will need to register your contactless payment card or Oyster card on the TfL website to get a record of your travel.