The non-emergency patient transport service (PTS), provided by Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS), is a limited service designed for those whose medical conditions make independent travel to and from healthcare settings unsafe or impossible.
From Monday, 1st April 2025 there will be eligibility changes, which are explained below.
What do the changes mean?
It is important to have considered all other transport options for the patient, before contacting Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS).
Patients who can make their own way to and from healthcare settings using their own transport, family members, public or community transport or taxi services should do so.
When this is not possible, YAS will consider the needs of all patients for example their physical health, visual impairment, mental health or learning disability for their eligibility for PTS. Staff in their reservations team will ask a set of questions, these questions will also be used when making online bookings through Quick Book. This is to ensure the patient qualifies for PTS, and to assess their transport needs.
There is a universal commitment of transport support for patients attending in-centre haemodialysis which provides guidance to patients, patient groups, haemodialysis units, transport providers and commissioners.
When a patient is not eligible for PTS, they will be directed to use alternative transport.
Why is the booking process changing?
Some PTS bookings are inappropriate, and this reduces the availability of transport for other patients. The booking process is changing to ensure that our services are available to patients who really need them.
NHS England have led this work by setting out a new national framework to ensure patient transport services are consistently more responsive, fair and sustainable. Here is the national eligibility criteria.
From 1 April 2025, YAS will implement these changes on behalf of the three Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) who commission their services - these are Humber and North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire ICBs.