Patient Transport Services Information Pack

Patient Transport Services Information Pack March 2014 This document replaces all previous editions of the BNSSG PTS Information Pack and can be found on the NHS Bristol web page together with supporting documents at: http://www.bristol.nhs.uk/your-services--nhs-bristol/patient-transport-services.aspx Version 4.0 Page 1 of 19

Contents General Information 3 Introduction 3 Department of Health Guidance 3 BNSSG Eligibility Criteria 3 Authorisation of Eligibility 4 Escorts 4 Aborted Journeys 5 Exclusions 6 Complaints 6 Further Information 6 Main BNSSG PTS Contract - SWASFT 7 Service Details 7 Transport Types & Mobility 7 Crew Skill 8 Booking Process 9 Timings 9 Admissions and Outpatient Appointments 9 Discharges and Transfers 9 Further Advice 9 Cancelling/Amending Existing Bookings 9 Bookings Information Required 9 Clinical Information 9 Basic Information 10 Health & Safety Information 10 Call to Confirm 11 Call Ahead 11 BNSSG Renal Dialysis PTS Contract - CTS Ltd 12 Service Summary 12 Transport Types & Mobility 12 Renal Dialysis Unit Information 12 Renal Standards 13 Bookings 13 Information Required 13 Clinical Information 14 Health & Safety Information 14 Amending Existing Bookings 14 Appendices 15 1 Contact details contract management 15 2 Contact details Acute Trusts 16 3 Contact details PTS Providers 17 4 Summary of Differences between PTS and A&E 18 5 Frequently Asked Questions 18 Page 2 of 19

General Information Introduction This document describes the Patient Transport Service (PTS) commissioned by Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Groups for patients who are registered with a GP in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG). Since 1 October 2010, two PTS contracts have been in place for BNSSG patients: Main PTS contract. Provider: South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT). Renal PTS contract (for patients able to travel by taxi) for renal dialysis patients. Provider: Complete Transport Services Ltd (CTS). The service provides transport for patients in cases of medical need, for Outpatient appointments, Admissions, Discharge, and Transfers between hospitals. The service is not provided for social means, and is only made available to those who meet strict eligibility criteria, based on Department of Health Guidance. Department of Health Guidance The Department of Health describes Patient Transport Services as the non-urgent transportation of patients who have a medical need, to and from a health service provider and between health service providers. This covers a range of vehicles and levels of care: Where the medical condition of the patient is such that they require the skills or support of PTS staff on/after the journey and/or where it would be detrimental to the patient s condition or recovery if they were to travel by other means. Where the patient s medical condition impacts on their mobility to such an extent that they would be unable to access healthcare and/or it would be detrimental to the patient s condition or recovery to travel by other means. Should you have any questions or queries regarding PTS eligibility or processes, please use the appropriate contact for advice and guidance (see Appendix 1 and 2). BNSSG Eligibility Criteria It is important that those responsible for making or managing PTS bookings ensure that eligibility is assessed fairly and equitably across the BNSSG medical community. Patients who are not eligible for PTS should be encouraged to use alternative transport options including: public transport, community transport, healthcare travel costs scheme, and the use of either their own transport or transport provided by friends or relatives. BNSSG guidance in amplification of the broad DH guidance is that the following patients are entitled to PTS: Page 3 of 19

Patients who require the continual support and skill of patient transport staff to enable them to travel. This typically includes the following patients, but may also include others (this is an illustrative, not an exhaustive, list): 1. Patients who have received treatment which requires the skill of patient transport staff to ensure a safe journey home (i.e. this does not include any patients who are suitable to travel in a taxi, except renal dialysis patients under the CTS contract) 2. Patients who require patient transport staff to administer oxygen during the journey 3. Patients with dementia or other mental health conditions who require patient transport staff to ensure a safe journey 4. Renal dialysis patients who are able to travel by car Patients who are required to travel by stretcher Inter-hospital transfers BNSSG provides PTS for renal dialysis patients to enable them to attend weekly dialysis and related outpatient appointments. Those who are able to travel by taxi are covered under the CTS contract; all others are covered under the SWASFT contract. Authorised to Decide Entitlement to PTS The Department of Health specifies that PTS must be authorised by a healthcare professional. E.g. (not an exhaustive list): Registered Nurse Radiologist Doctor Occupational Therapist Physiotherapist Surgeon Radiographer Podiatrist Anaesthetist Ophthalmologist Speech and Language Therapist Administrative staff may authorise transport requests, but only where approved protocols are in place locally to support appropriate assessment of eligibility by a healthcare professional. GP Practices are to make a PTS booking for the patient s first outpatient appointment only thereafter, responsibility for assessing eligibility and booking PTS lies with the acute. This is to ensure that patients eligibility and transport type are assessed appropriately at each appointment by the healthcare professional most recently responsible for seeing the patient. Escorts Escorts may be medical or non-medical. Medical escorts are to be determined by those booking PTS where the patient s condition is such they require the constant medical attention of a medical escort (beyond the capability of the PTS crew) throughout their journey (see Page 11 below). Page 4 of 19

Non-medical escorts are not expected to be routinely authorised. Department of Health guidance states that non-medical escorts (i.e. friend or relative) are to be the exception. Typically non-medical escorts are only appropriate for circumstances where: The patient is under 18 years of age The patient requires a translator The patient has severe communication difficulties e.g. has a profound sight or hearing/speech impairment and cannot travel safely without a known carer The patient suffers from a physical or mental health problem e.g. Alzheimer s, Dementia, etc which prevents them from travelling unaccompanied safely without a known care Other than these few cases, patients are not entitled to an escort. PTS does not provide transport for escorts on social grounds. Family/carers/friends etc whose support is not required by the patient in the circumstances described above, are responsible for their own transport at their own cost. Escorts will not be accepted at time of pick up unless already included as part of the booking. Only in exceptional circumstances may an unbooked escort be able to travel. All children under the age of 18 are required to have an escort for their journey and this must be arranged prior to booking transport. There are very occasionally circumstances in which some patients under the age of 18, and/or their parents, may wish them to travel without an escort. It is essential that the referrer liaises in advance with SWASFT, and puts in place appropriate mitigations and risk reduction processes on a case by case basis Assistance dogs (including guide and hearing dogs) are permitted on the service, providing this is specified at the time of booking. Aborted Journeys Each year approximately 16% of all PTS bookings result in aborted journeys. CCGs are required to pay for every aborted journey. The cost of this waste is in excess of 500,000 every year. An aborted journey occurs either because a booking is cancelled with less than 4-hours notice, or the journey is attempted but cannot be completed. Many of these aborted journeys can be avoided and those responsible for booking PTS are asked to help by ensuring that they: Cancel or amend PTS bookings as soon as possible when there are changes to the associated appointment. Do not book PTS for patients without discussing this with the patient or carer. Do not book PTS for patients more than 6 weeks in advance (unless by special arrangement such as renal) as this increases the aborted journey risk. Advise patients to contact SWASFT direct should they wish to change or cancel their PTS booking, using the main SWASFT number: 0300 369 0482. Page 5 of 19

Exclusions from BNSSG PTS Contracts The following patient groups and transport types are excluded from the BNSSG main PTS and renal PTS contracts, as they are covered by other contracts / providers /arrangements: 1.1 Patients who need emergency transport. The Emergency Medical Provider provides call handling and prioritisation of 999 calls from the general public, and other calls and requests from healthcare professionals and other emergency services. There are four types of calls covered by this agreement: a) Emergency calls from members of the public and healthcare professionals. b) Urgent requests for ambulance transport from other healthcare professionals. c) Inter-hospital transfers of an urgent or emergency nature, or for an upgrade of care. d) Admission for palliative care patients to identified hospices from home, and transfer from hospice to an acute unit of an emergency or urgent nature for an upgrade of care. 1.2 Mental health patients who are under the care of Avon and Wiltshire Mental Heath Partnership Trust (AWP) who are assessed as high risk (e.g. sectioned patients) and are not suitable for PTS. 1.3 Transport to primary care services provided under the following NHS contract by General Medical Services/Personal Medical Services/General Dental Services/ Personal Dental Services, e.g. routine appointments at GP clinics/health centres and dental surgeries. 1.4 Prisoners Transport is provided by the prison service. 1.5 Paediatric intensive care retrieval. 1.6 Neonatal intensive care retrieval (NICU). (This is a two-way journey to collect a specialist team and transport them to the patient) 1.7 Non NHS-funded patients. 1.8 Renal care patients the majority are covered by a separate contract except for patients who require a stretcher or support from a trained ambulance crew. 1.9 PTS is for patient transport and a single piece of patient luggage/personal belongings. It will not convey supplies, mail or any other goods. 1.10 Patients who require transport outside England, Scotland and Wales. NB: These journeys would be agreed on an individual pricing basis with the PCT. Complaints All formal complaints should be processed through the standard NHS complaints process. All informal complaints and enquiries should be dealt with directly with the SWASFT or CTS Ltd, all contact details at Annex 2. Further Information Further information including patient information leaflets, booking form, booking summary for GP Practices and acutes, and cancellation form is on the NHS Bristol website at http://www.bristol.nhs.uk/your-services--nhs-bristol/patient-transport-services.aspx Page 6 of 19

Main BNSSG PTS Contract - SWASFT Transport and Mobility Types available on SWASFT PTS Mobility Type Description Vehicle 1 (V1) Patients who are able to travel in a normal 4/5 door saloon car, walk with limited assistance from one person and require no lifting or manual handling Vehicle 2 (V2) Patients who need the assistance of two people to access or egress their property and/or board or alight from the vehicle, where manual handling or specialist equipment may be required, and where they may require attendant care during transport Wheelchair 1 Patients who need to travel in their own wheelchairs, who require the (W1) assistance of only one person, who require no lifting or manual handling and who have adapted access/egress from the property enabling them to Wheelchair 2 (W2) Stretcher (ST) leave it on their own or with the assistance of just one person Patients who need to travel in their own wheelchairs who require the assistance of two people, who may require attendant care during transport, who may have difficulty with the access and egress of their property without assistance and who may require minimal manual handling Patients who need to lie down for at least part of the journey and require the assistance of two people to access or egress their property and/or board or alight from the vehicle, where manual handling or specialist equipment may be required, where attendant care is required during transport, and who may require clinical support such as oxygen therapy and cardiac monitoring VEHICLE 1 (V1) - Patients who are able to travel in a normal 4/5 door saloon car, walk with limited assistance from one person and require no lifting or manual handling VEHICLE 2 (V2) - Patients who need the assistance of two people to access or egress their property and/or board or alight from the vehicle, where manual handling or specialist equipment may be required, and where they may require attendant care during transport Page 7 of 19

WHEELCHAIR PATIENT (W1&W2) - journeys for patients who travel in a wheelchair require the assistance of 1 person or 2 people depending on their weight, access to pick up address and other mobility factors (For W1, vehicle may be a car) STRETCHER (ST) - Patients who need to lie down for at least part of the journey and require the assistance of two people to access or egress their property and/or board or alight from the vehicle, where manual handling or specialist equipment may be required, where attendant care is required during transport, and who may require clinical support such as oxygen therapy and cardiac monitoring SWASFT Crew Skill Crew Level Level Types of patients Ambulance Car Driver Lower Care V1/W1 Ambulance Care Assistant Medium Care V2/W2 Intermediate Care Assistant Higher Care Specialist need, Stretcher, some V2/W2 Higher level of skills to cover journeys such as cardiac transfers & spinal transfers Blue light available Where possible intervention is required, medical escorts must be provided by the organisation making the booking (escorts should expect to need to organise their own return journey from the patient s destination, unless this has been agreed in advance with SWASFT as the SWASFT vehicle is likely to be proceeding to its next task, and therefore not routinely able to complete a return journey for the escorts). Timings SWASFT PTS service is available 24/7. All journeys must, where possible, be booked in advance. This is to enable SWASFT to ensure appropriate resource is planned for each journey throughout each day. Page 8 of 19

Where this is not possible, SWASFT can deliver an on day service. If journeys are booked on day, SWASFT requires as much notice as possible. The minimum response time is 4 hours and SWASFT has a 45 minute window from the booked collection time within which to collect a patient. SWASFT will aim to pick up patients within 4 hours of the booking being made, but this cannot be guaranteed. If SWASFT has not either collected the patient within 45 minutes of a pre-booked time, or for an on-day booking has not been in touch to confirm time of collection within 4 hours, please contact SWASFT direct on 0300 369 0482 for further information. Admissions/Outpatient Appointments/Discharges/Transfers By fax 0300 369 0483 (faxes are not processed after 5pm or before 9am Mon-Fri or at w/ends) By phone 0300 369 0482 (24 hrs primarily to be used for on-day bookings, changes or cancellations. During silent hours, this number will only accept bookings for that silent hours period i.e. Mon-Fri 8pm 7am; w/e 8pm 7am) Further Advice Should further advice be required Cancelling or Amending Existing Bookings Cancellations or amendments details should be forwarded to SWASFT as soon as possible to enable them to effectively plan the service, either by the booking organisation or the patient. This includes change of pick up address, change of appointment time or change of dates. All cancellations on the day of travel (with less than 4 hours of appointment / admission time) will be charged at standard journey rates, therefore more than 4 hours notice should be given wherever possible. Cancellations or amendments details should be forwarded to SWASFT: By fax if being submitted by the organisation that made the booking, in advance of the day of travel. By phone if being submitted by the organisation that made the booking, on the day of travel. By phone if being submitted by the patient Bookings - Information Required Should any key information be missing from the booking, it may result in transport being delayed, unable to be provided, or higher journey costs. Clinical Information To support the safe transportation of the patient, please ensure SWASFT or CTS are informed of any relevant medical conditions - there is a space on the booking form for this information. This should include information which is only specifically relevant to the Page 9 of 19

journey. This includes palliative care patients and those with a Do Not Attempt Resuscitation / Allow a Natural Death Order. Information is also required for patients receiving oxygen, whether the patient is using own cylinders or ambulance provided. Clinical information should be provided if necessary for the journey when the patient is in the care of the provider. Basic Information The accuracy and level of detail on each PTS booking will help ensure that the booking can be processed promptly and accurately, and completed successfully. Inaccurate information on bookings is also the direct cause of a significant number of aborted journeys. The estimated annual cost of this waste is 60,000). Please ensure that the following basic information is accurate and is provided without exception: Patient name Patient date of birth Patient telephone number Patient GP practice national code (e.g. L81128 etc) Patient NHS number Pick up and destination address, both with postcode Date and time of journey (including return time when known) Type of transport required Bookings made without a GP practice national code will not be processed. Should a PTSeligible BNSSG resident patient not have a registered GP, please contact SWASFT by phone to enable a PTS booking to be processed. Also, relevant information on any patient luggage required to be transported, should be provided on the booking. Patient luggage includes walking aids such as zimmer and other frames. SWASFT will ensure a walking aid and a single small item of luggage can be moved with the patient. However additional items will need to be discussed with SWASFT and if not possible to be transported with the patient, other arrangements will need to be made by the patient/carer/gp Practice /Ward etc. Health and Safety Information To ensure that any required health and safety assessments can be made, the following information is required: Patient weight (if patient is over 14 stone) Any property access issues, this includes any steps outside or inside a property where patients require lifting or any narrow corridors in property which may affect the ability of the standard level of service Infectious diseases including C Diff, MRSA, Norovirus etc. Any other relevant information for the journey Page 10 of 19

Call to Confirm To help reduce aborted journeys, SWASFT contacts pre-booked outpatients by phone two working days in advance of their day of travel, to confirm they are still planning to attend their appointment and that the booking details are correct. During this call SWASFT will recheck patient mobility, and provide information as to the collection time for their pick-up, and the expected collection window for return. To help support the success of this process, and improve the overall effectiveness of PTS, those making PTS bookings are asked to always ensure that appropriate phone numbers are included in any PTS booking. Call Ahead To help reduce aborted journeys, SWASFT where possible contacts patients (where collecting from home) or wards etc (where collecting from hospital) 20-60 minutes in advance of arrival. This is to help enable the patient and / or clinical staff to ensure that the patient is ready to be collected. ( Patient not ready is one of the biggest causes of aborted journeys, which in turn creates unsustainable pressure through additional on-day bookings, and can result in widespread delays). Page 11 of 19

BNSSG Renal PTS Contract CTS Ltd Service Summary PTS for Renal Dialysis Patients Attending Renal Units at Southmead / Knowle / Bath / Weston / Frome / Bristol Royal Children s Hospital For renal dialysis patients who are registered with a GP in BNSSG, there are 2 main contracted arrangements to attend their renal dialysis service and related outpatient appointments: Renal dialysis patients in mobility categories V1/W1: PTS is provided by CTS Ltd. Bookings are made via the Central Transport Department at NBT on 0117 323 5417 from 8am-6pm Mon-Fri or 10am-4pm Saturday-Sunday. Renal dialysis patients in mobility categories V2/W2/stretcher: PTS is provided by SWASFT. Bookings made by fax 0300 369 0483 or phone 0300 369 0482 Transport and Mobility Types available on Renal V1/W1 PTS Below is a description of the transport mobility types available on renal V1/W1 PTS. Name Vehicle 1 (V1) Wheelchair 1 (W1) Description For patients who require the assistance of 1 person For patients who require to travel in their own wheelchair for the journey with the assistance of 1 person Renal Dialysis Units Renal Dialysis Unit & Brunel Satellite Unit located at Southmead Hospital Monday to Saturday including bank holidays. Morning: 7.30am to 12.45pm and 7.30am to 1.30pm. Afternoon: 1.00pm to 6.45pm. Twilight: 6.45pm inwards only. Royal United Hospital Bath Satellite Unit and Weston General Hospital Ambleside Unit Monday to Saturday including bank holidays. No set session times. Earliest in time 7.30am Latest return time is 7.30pm. South Bristol Dialysis Unit at Knowle Health Park Contracted for Monday, Wednesday and Friday only including bank holidays. Morning session 8.00am to 1.00pm. Afternoon session 2.00pm to 6.30pm. Does not operate on Sunday or other Bank Holidays. There are also renal units at Frome and Bristol Royal Children s Hospital. Renal Standards Page 12 of 19

The Renal National Service Framework sets out standards for transport delivery, related to reduced levels of time spent on vehicle; arrival times before; and collection times after appointments. With the current level of investment the PTS Providers will use best endeavours to deliver patients as near to the specific service standards as possible. These three Renal National Service Framework standards are:- Patient time on vehicle no more than 30 mins Patient arriving no more than 30 mins prior to treatment Patient waiting no more than 30 mins to be collected The BNSSG PTS providers for renal patients are set what are considered to be appropriate and achievable local key performance indicators in this context: Patient time on vehicle no more than 60 mins Patient arriving no more than 30 mins prior to treatment; and not later than booked time Transport available to collect patient within 45 minutes of agreed collection time Similar arrangements apply to the BNSSG renal V1/W1 contract all cancellations must be made to the NBT transport office if made by the renal units; or can be made direct to the provider by the patient. Bookings - Information Required Should any key information be missing from the booking, it may result in transport being delayed, unable to be provided, or higher journey costs. The accuracy and level of detail on each booking made will help ensure that the booking can be processed promptly and accurately, and completed successfully. Inaccurate information on bookings is also the direct cause of a significant number of aborted journeys i.e. waste. Please ensure that the following basic information is accurate and is provided without exception: Patient name Patient date of birth Patient GP practice national code (e.g. L81128 etc) Pick up and destination address, both with postcode Date and time of journey Type of transport required Bookings made without a GP practice code will not be processed. For BNSSG resident Renal V1/W1 patients without a registered GP, please contact the NBT Transport Office to enable a PTS booking to be processed. For BNSSG resident child Renal V1/W1 patients without a registered GP, please contact the Bristol Royal Children s Hospital to enable a PTS booking to be processed. Also, please provide information (if relevant) on any patient luggage required to be transported, this includes zimmer-type frames. Page 13 of 19

Clinical Information To support the safe transportation of the patient, please ensure CTS are informed of any relevant medical conditions. Do not pass non relevant clinical information to the provider. This includes information which is not relevant to the patient s journey. Health and Safety Information To ensure that any required health and safety assessments can be made, the following information is required: Patient weight (if patient is over 14 stone) Any property access issues Infectious diseases including C Diff, MRSA, Norovirus, swine flu, flu etc. Any other relevant information for the journey Amending Existing Bookings Cancellations or amendments details should be forwarded to either the NBT transport office or direct to the provider; either by the renal unit or the patient. This includes change of pick up address, change of appointment time or change of dates. Page 14 of 19

Appendix One Contact Details - Contract Management Lead Commissioner BNSSG GWAS PTS Contract Andy Jennings Tel: 0117 900 2630 Lead Commissioner for PTS Head of Business Planning & Development Commissioning Directorate NHS Bristol South Plaza Marlborough Street Bristol BS1 3NX andy.jennings@bristolpct.nhs.uk Lead Commissioner BNSSG Renal PTS Contract James Rooney Tel: 07825 844 395 Lead Commissioner for Renal PTS NHS Bristol/S Glos South Plaza Marlborough Street Bristol BS1 3NX james.rooney2@nhs.net Associate Commissioners Claire Beynon Tel: 0117 330 2419 Assistant Director Service Development (Mon-Friday 9am-5pm) NHS South Gloucestershire 1 Monarch Court Emerald Park Emersons Green South Gloucestershire BS16 7FH claire.beynon@sglos-pct.nhs.uk NHS North Somerset Via Lead Commissioners detailed above Waverley House or via switchboard 01275 546 770 Old Church Road Somerset BS21 6NN Page 15 of 19

Appendix Two Contact Details Acute Trusts (For Operational Issues) University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust Claire Hepden Tel: 0117 342 4833 Patient Access Manager Operations Centre Bristol Royal Infirmary Upper Maudlin Street BS2 8HW claire.hepden@uhbristol.nhs.uk North Bristol NHS Trust Andy Kettle Tel: 0117 323 5417 Facilities Manager - Logistics Coach House Southmead Hospital Southmead Road BS10 5NB andrew.kettle@nbt.nhs.uk Central Transport Department Tel: 0117 323 5417 Coach House Southmead Hospital Southmead Road BS10 5NB Weston Area NHS Health Trust Weston General Hospital Grange Road Uphill Weston Super Mare North Somerset BS23 4TQ Page 16 of 19

Appendix Three Contact Details - PTS Providers Main PTS Contract SWASFT: Head of PTS Nick Gibson Tel: 07899786881 Bristol Ambulance Station Marybush Lane Bristol BS2 OAT nick.gibson@swast.nhs.uk Operations Managers Simon Stockham Tel: 07827827869 simon.stockham@swast.nhs.uk Pau Crockett Tel: 07747008042 paul.crockett@swast.nhs.uk SWASFT PTS Operations Centre, Booking Registration, & On-Day Issues Tel: 0845 120 5582 Fax: 0845 120 5583 Email bookings: GWASNT.Bookings-PTS@NHS.net Renal Patients CTS: Renal Contract (V1/W1 only) Bookings, cancellations or amendments: NBT Central Transport Department 0117 3235417 Complaints/late changes/chase vehicle etc. (not bookings): CTS Ltd 0117 926 7300 Page 17 of 19

Appendix Four Frequently Asked Questions 1. Who is responsible for assessing eligibility? A healthcare professional (doctor, nurse, etc). 2. Who is responsible for making a PTS booking? Initial referral: GP Practice. Follow-ups and subsequent referrals (for same condition): the ward / department / clinic etc that is responsible for treating the patient. This is based on the accepted principle that the organisation that is currently treating the patient is best placed to determine their continuing eligibility for PTS, since eligibility may vary over time (the patient s mobility may improve, and therefore they may change from eligible for PTS to ineligible for PTS, or vice versa). 3. What if my patient has always previously had patient transport, but is now no longer eligible? Should, following eligibility criteria assessment, your patient be confirmed as not eligible for patient transport, then this must be explained carefully. The Department of Health has specified that the only patients who are eligible are those with a medical need or those for whom travelling by any other means would be detrimental to their health. The PTS service is only available for those patients who require the skills of PTS staff. Eligibility should be assessed by a healthcare professional (GP, nurse, etc). 4. What advice about alternative transport options can I suggest to patients? Options other than PTS include: hospital travel costs scheme (HTCS), social transport, public transport, taxi, self-help (own vehicle or driven by friends or family). Other options are described further in the BNSSG Transport Leaflet Transport to Healthcare (see NHS Bristol website, address below). 5. I m not sure if my patient is eligible, who can I ask for advice? Should it be unclear whether your patient is eligible for patient transport, refer to the eligibility criteria in this guide, contact SWASFT, or your local CCG Commissioner (see Appendix). 6. My patient wants to bring an escort to support them at their appointment, but does not require them during the journey, how can they travel? Escorts are eligible to travel on a PTS vehicle only where the patient requires the specific support of their escort during the journey, and this support cannot be provided by GWAS PTS staff. This can include patients with communication difficulties; or those who suffer from conditions such as dementia; and children. If the patient requires the support of an escort for their appointment only, then the escort is not entitled to travel on the PTS vehicle so will need to travel by other means and meet the patient at the hospital/clinic/etc. 7. How far in advance can I make PTS bookings? PTS bookings can be made for up to 6 weeks in advance. Page 18 of 19

However, such long lead times particularly where they are for a block of bookings (e.g. for a block of physiotherapy appointments) often result in aborted journeys. Therefore block bookings are only be made for up to a week at a time. Acute provider PTS representatives (see Appendix) have agreed to implement and monitor this restriction. This applies to all PTS bookings except those for renal dialysis patients where greater predictability is the norm. Any bookings that need to be made more than 6 weeks in advance should be managed locally. This can include, patients contacting their GP/Practice or hospital within 6 weeks of the appointment to confirm their eligibility and request bookings to be made; or clinics to contact the patient by phone up to 6 weeks prior to their appointment in order to confirm eligibility and if appropriate, make a PTS booking. 8. How will I know SWASFT have successfully made my booking? Providing the contact telephone number and name of the person making the booking is put onto the fax form / email electronic booking, should there be any problems SWASFT will contact direct. If there is no call back, you can presume the booking has been made successfully. For phone bookings, the caller will be offered a booking reference number. 9. My patient has complex medical conditions, who can I talk to for advice regarding suitable transport? If you are unsure what type of transport your patient requires, you can contact anyone named at Appendix 1 or 2. 10. Where can I get further information regarding the patient transport services? NHS Bristol website at: http://www.bristolpct.nhs.uk/patients/all%5fservices/patienttransport/default.asp This site includes: Information Pack; Booking form; Cancellation form; Patient information leaflets; Booking summary guidance for GPs, Acute Trusts, and Primary Care; Other supporting documents. Page 19 of 19