Patient transport services in Jersey

​What is the non-emergency patient transport service (PTS)?

The service is provided by the ambulance service. We organise approximately 1,400 non-emergency patient journeys per week.

Many patients need special help for a variety of reasons, and to meet these needs our vehicles are specially adapted and carry specialist equipment, with staff trained to the National Ambulance Care Assistant standard.

What service do we provide:

We provide the following service for eligible patients:

• travel to and from outpatient appointments, including physiotherapy
• travel for admissions, discharges and transfers between wards at the general hospital, Overdale and St Saviour’s hospital
• travel to and from Jersey Hospice
• transfers to and from the airport

We also provide transport for patients, who need to travel several times a week. This could be to either the renal dialysis unit or the various day care centres throughout the Island. Drop off and collection from the daycare centres are at pre-determined times.

Who is eligible for patient transport?

To qualify for non-emergency transport the client must be medically unfit to travel by any other means and have no alternative means of travelling to or from hospital. Occasionally, transport is also provided to some patients based on social need.

Medical need is determined by a doctor or specialist nurse.

All patients who can make their own arrangements for getting to and from hospital (including relatives, friends and the use of public transport and taxis) should do so.

People are eligible for transport if they:

• need to travel lying down
• require oxygen or other medical gases during transit

People will also be considered if they have no alternative means of transport available and they:

• need to travel in a wheelchair
• have learning difficulties which prevent them from using public transport
• have a medical condition that would compromise their dignity or cause concern should public transport be used
• cannot walk without the continual support of another person or walking aid
• experience unpleasant side effects as a result of their medical treatment which prevents them from using public transport
• have access problems which may require them to be carried

How do I arrange for transport?

Your GP or hospital staff will decide if you need the services of the non-emergency patient transport service, and make the necessary arrangements. If your GP is referring you to a hospital clinic for a first appointment, ask them if you can use the service. If the hospital staff ask you to return for another appointment, ask them if you can use the service.

On the day of travel

Be ready for the ambulance to collect you up to 1 hour before your hospital appointment.

If for any reason you need to cancel your transport telephone us.

When you are ready to go home

After your appointment go to the reception areas and tell the receptionist that you are ready to go home. Our ambulance staff will then come and collect you.

If you decide not to return home with the ambulance you must inform the receptionist and ask them to let us know.

We will always try to collect you as soon as possible, however, operational commitments may mean that on some occasions you may have to wait.

Information for those arranging patient transport

For operational reasons, we can only transport patients whose clinical appointments fall between 10am and 2.30pm. Contact PTS Control to discuss alternate arrangements.

How to make a booking

Send requests by writing or fax. We are unable to process transport requests by telephone.

Bookings must be made by the following times.

The minimum patient information required to organise a booking is:

How to amend a booking

If the date / time of a patient appointment is changed, and transport has been booked, it is essential that PTS control is notified at the earliest opportunity.

How to cancel transport

Any cancellations less than 48 hours prior to the appointment should be by telephone. Any other cancellations should be sent on the relevant transport cancellation form.

If transport has been arranged for the patient to be picked-up from a residential address, contact PTS.

If the date / time of a patient appointment is changed, and transport has been booked, it is essential that PTS control is notified at the earliest opportunity. Any cancellations less than 48 hours prior to the appointment should be by telephone. Any other cancellations should be sent on the relevant transport cancellation form. If transport has been arranged for the patient to be picked-up from a residential address, contact PTS. Cancellations for clinics on TrakCare (the hospital patient administration system) that have transport booked, should be cancelled on the TrakCare. This will then automatically cancel the transport.

Any other appointment cancellations that may affect transport must be passed to PTS control as soon as possible, including the reason for cancellation. Should an outpatient clinic be cancelled, we should also be notified.

If a patient is admitted onto a ward directly from a clinic, check whether the patient has transport booked. If they have, the return journey should be cancelled by phoning PTS control.

Private bookings

Where a patient has opted to attend the hospital or a clinic privately, a charge will be levied for their transport.