NEPTS rules and booking windows vary by trust; the examples here are UCLH and the Royal Free in London, so confirm your own trust's rules before booking.
Who qualifies for patient transport
University College London Hospitals describes NEPTS as a limited resource for patients when it would be detrimental to their health or recovery to attend by any other means, including private car or taxi. Its eligibility examples include patients who are bedbound and need a stretcher, need medical gases, have cognition or capacity issues assessed case by case, are wheelchair-bound assessed case by case, need carrying up or down from their home, or cannot walk without continual physical support. The Royal Free follows the same Department of Health and Social Care guidance: transport is restricted to patients whose clinical condition means other travel would be detrimental, including some wheelchair users, some patients receiving oxygen, patients needing a stretcher or paramedic services, and patients who need transport staff support during the journey. Being a wheelchair user alone does not guarantee eligibility, and receiving a mobility allowance does not automatically disqualify you, but NEPTS is only available where the transport options that allowance funds are not appropriate.
Booking windows and the assessment call
Book early, because the windows are tight and they differ by trust. UCLH asks for 3 working days' notice, excluding weekends and bank holidays, and accepts bookings up to 2 months before the appointment; its assessment takes about 4 to 5 minutes and a friend, relative or carer can call on your behalf. The Royal Free accepts bookings up to 4 weeks in advance and until 2 working days before the appointment, and bookings made later than that may not be accepted. Both services reassess eligibility for each journey, and both assess whether an escort is needed under the national criteria, for example where a patient cannot be left alone or needs a carer with particular skills. If your appointment is cancelled or moved, call the transport team straight away, since your return journey is only finalised once you are marked ready to travel.
If you travel yourself: costs and alternatives
If you do not qualify for NEPTS, the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme can reimburse travel for patients on a low income or receiving qualifying benefits, covering public transport or mileage for private vehicles plus parking and toll charges, with claims made at the hospital or by post within 3 months of the appointment. UCLH also points patients to other options, including a subsidised door-to-door scheme for Londoners with a serious mobility impairment and community transport services. Before your appointment, decide how you will travel and tell the clinic if you need a porter on arrival, since UCLH notes a porter request can take up to 30 minutes. The practical order is: check NEPTS eligibility first, then the travel costs scheme, then community transport, and only then a taxi you pay for yourself.
