Transport

While most people can travel to treatment independently or with support from family and friends, our funded non-emergency patient transport services (NEPTS) play an important role for those whose medical condition or severe mobility constraint means that other forms of transport are not suitable. 

In addition to NEPTS, the NHS provides some additional transport support. The healthcare travel cost scheme (HTCS) reimburses costs for those people on a particularly low income and who meet statutory entitlements to support.

Nationally the NHS NEPTS deliver 11-12 million patient journeys each year, covering around half a million miles each weekday.

Transport options to our hospitals

We understand that many patients are wary about travelling to appointments on public transport. If you have been offered an appointment, it is because our doctors have reviewed your eye health and can offer you treatment to help save your sight. Below are some options to consider, including making use of patient transport.

• Car/lift – Please use our guide to each location to check local parking. If you are coming to City Road, remember the congestion charge applies on the Islington side of City Road, but not the Hackney side.
• Taxis – If you are on most means-tested benefits, and a taxi is the cheapest form of transport available to you, you will be able to claim your fares back.
• Long distance train – If you are on most means-tested benefits, you will be able to claim your fares back.
• Public transport – There are steps you can take to make your journey better. Transport for London (TfL) provides up to date information on safer travelling,

You can always contact us to ask us to reschedule your appointment to avoid travelling in rush hour. You cannot use public transport if you have been self-isolating prior to an operation.

Non-emergency patient transport services (NEPTS)

Requests to book non-emergency patient transport in North Central London (Barnet, Enfield, Haringey, Camden and Islington) can be made by calling the nurse-led patient transport assessment centre on 0333 240 4909.

Calls to this number will be charged at a local rate.

The assessment centre is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm excluding bank holidays.

Bookings can be made no earlier than four weeks in advance.

Your booking may not be accepted if you do not contact them at least two working days before your appointment.

Late requests for patient transport will be prioritised for patients who have been asked to attend a hospital appointment with less than two working days’ notice.

Access to non-emergency patient transport continues to be based on medical need and the patient transport assessment centre will use assessment questions for each booking to establish each patient’s eligibility to access NHS-funded transport. You will be given priority if you can demonstrate to the call centre that you need additional medical support during the journey, you find it difficult to walk or that you are the parent or guardian of a child that fits these criteria. We advise you to stress, in the ‘difficult to walk’ questions, any additional difficulties your sight loss causes you in remaining safe on public transport, any difficulties you have in finding new locations for our services and problems you may have in social distancing. If your appointment is urgent, this will also help you access patient transport. If you need to be escorted because of your condition, please explain this to DHL.

If you are not happy with the outcome of your assessment, you can appeal. This will be handled directly by the assessment centre and the decision reviewed by their nurse team.

In North Central London, DHL will contact you three days before your hospital appointment to confirm your transport arrangements. On the day, you will receive an SMS text message or a phone call confirming the time your transport will arrive. If you do not receive a confirmation, please ring 0333 240 4909 to make sure your transport is still coming for you. If you no longer need transport, please call 0333 240 4909 to let DHL know.

Please be ready up to 2 hours before your appointment time, this could be earlier if you live further away.  Drivers cannot wait more than 10 minutes, so please make sure you are ready for when transport arrives.

When you are ready to leave, please let a member of the Moorfields team know and they will help you to the main reception waiting area. If your appointment has taken place at one of our other locations, please let the clinic team know, and they will advise the transport team you are ready to go home.

DHL will try to get you home as soon as they can. However, you may have to wait up to 120 minutes to be collected.

It is important to note that journeys are planned to make the most effective use of our vehicles. This means that other patients may share the same vehicle with you, but it will always in line with national infection control guidance.

For other Moorfields sites, including Ealing, Croydon and St George’s, please see the website of the host trust for their transport arrangements.

Please note that we do not provide transport for patients attending the A&E department; hospital transport is available only for patients attending booked clinical appointments and who meet the eligibility criteria.

Hospital travel costs scheme

If you are on any of the benefits listed below, we will be able to reimburse your travel costs using our hospital travel cost scheme (HTCS).  Please note that we can only reimburse you for the cheapest form of transport available. 

• Income-based job seekers allowance
• Guaranteed pension credit income support
• Tax credit exemption certificate, HC2 or HC3
• Income related employment support allowance

HC5(T) Refund claim form: travel costs to receive NHS treatment

Depending on your income level, universal credit may also be valid as a form of benefit.

Please bring the following items with you to enable us to process your claim as quickly as possible:

• A valid benefit document dated within the last year
• A ticket or receipt showing proof of cost of travel
• Your appointment letter

Escort fares are reimbursed if the patient is registered sight or severely sight impaired or registered disabled. Proof of disability must be produced at time of the claim.

A fuel allowance upon receipt may be payable at 20 pence per mile. Parking costs up to £8.00 per day upon receipt.