Help with travel
You may be able to use our transport service or get help with the cost of getting to our hospitals.
Non-emergency patient transport service (NEPTS)
Where possible we ask you to make your own way to our hospitals.
You may be able to use our non-emergency patient transport service if:
- there is a risk to your safety
- you have difficulty with your mobility
- your condition stops you from using public transport
- you are having, or have had, surgery to affects how you can move
Assessments for patient transport
We'll assess whether you qualify for this service by asking you questions about your medical condition and mobility. Assessments must be carried out at least 48 hours before your appointment. If you qualify, we'll book transport for you.
If you come to hospital on a regular basis, we will assess you for the length of your treatment, or every 3 months.
If you come to the hospital occasionally, we will assess you each time you need transport.
We will not accept on-the-day transport requests for non-urgent outpatient appointments. Priority is given to patients who have been asked to come to a hospital appointment at short notice.
Request a review of our decision
If you are considered not eligible for transport as a result of your assessment, we can discuss alternative ways to get to our hospitals.
If we have not offered you patient transport but you think you need it, you can ask for a review of your case. If it is not resolved, you have the right to appeal by contacting our patient liaison officers: PTSPatientLiaison@gstt.nhs.uk.
You can also ask your GP for a letter that says why you need patient transport. The letter must be on the GP surgery's headed paper and sent to:
Non-emergency patient transport service, college house, 2nd floor, South Wing, St Thomas' Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7EH
Single-person transport
We can only offer you single-person patient transport if you are:
immunocompromised
at high risk of infection
currently undergoing a high-risk procedure where you cannot mix with other patients in a clinical setting (this must be confirmed by a clinician)
Contact us on 020 7188 2888 (7.45am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays).
Please make sure you have your NHS number available, and your medical information.
If you need help, a friend or relative can contact us on your behalf.
We cannot accept on-the-day bookings for non-urgent outpatient appointments.
On the day before your appointment, we will contact you to:
- make sure you still need transport
- confirm your address
- check we have the appropriate vehicle for you
You will be collected up to 2 hours before your appointment time. For patients living outside our catchment area this may be longer - this will be confirmed by the assessment team.
Please be ready when your transport arrives, as your driver cannot wait more than 10 minutes.
Patient transport will aim to get you to the hospital up to 60 minutes before your appointment.
We follow NHS guidelines to decide whether an escort is appropriate. We will do this as part of our assessment process.
You can travel with a relative, friend, escort and/or carer if you:
- are under 16 year of age and need to travel with an escort or carer
- need an escort or carer's support which cannot be provided by the NEPTS ambulance care assistant
- cannot be left alone
Our vehicles have limited space, so please only bring 1 small bag. If you need to bring other items, please call our assessment team before your journey to see if we can accommodate this.
If you are diabetic, please make sure you bring some food and water in case there are delays in your journey to or from the hospital.
Please ensure you bring:
- your appointment letter, or other paperwork you may need
- any medicines you need
- a walking aid or wheelchair if you need one
- suitable clothing for the weather conditions
- your house keys
- anything else you have been asked to bring
When you are ready to go home, go to the patient transport lounge.
Please report to the reception desk so we can organise transport for you. Our staff will look after you will you wait for your driver.
We aim to make sure you have the shortest wait possible for your transport home. However, you may have to wait up to 60 minutes (if your transport has been booked on-the-day then you may have to wait up to 2 hours).
If you need to leave the transport lounge for any reason, please tell a member of staff so we know where you are, and you do not miss your transport.
Call 020 7188 2888, option 3, Monday to Friday, 7:45am to 7pm.
Help with travel costs
To get help with travel costs, you need to meet 3 conditions.
- At the time of your appointment, you or your partner (including civil partners) must receive one of the qualifying benefits or allowances listed on the NHS website or meet the eligibility criteria for the NHS low income scheme.
- You must have a referral from a healthcare professional to a specialist or a hospital for further NHS treatment or tests. This is often referred to as secondary care.
- Your appointment must be on a separate visit to when the referral was made. This applies whether your treatment is provided at a different location (hospital or clinic) or on the same premises as where the GP or another health professional issued the referral.
At the cashier's office
When you arrive for your appointment, let the reception staff know you want to claim back transport fares. They can fill out the right form for you.
To reclaim the money, take the completed form, with proof of your travel costs to one of our cashier's offices. You will need to provide the following:
- the form authorised by the clinic
- valid travel ticket (where travel ticket is not provided, mileage will be paid)
- proof of entitlement
- you will need to keep any ticket or receipts you have as proof of the cost and present it when claiming for your reimbursement.
By post
To claim your travel costs by post, you will need to complete an HC5(T) form (PDF 35KB). The form must be authorised by NHS Business Services Authority within the 3-month period from the date of your hospital appointment. You can get the form from the cashier's office, hospital clinic or ward, or JobCentre Plus offices.
You should make sure that the form (authorised by the hospital clinic or ward) and the travel ticket are attached to postal claims. If the travel ticket is not attached, mileage will be paid.
We will not pay postal claims outside the 3-month period unless authorised as accepted outside 3 months by NHS Business Services Authority.
You can claim back the daily charge if:
- you have a weakened immune system, need regular therapy or assessment, or need recurrent surgical treatment; and
- the member of staff caring for you has completed the appropriate claim form, confirming you are too ill, weak or disabled to travel to your appointment on public transport
You will need to pay the congestion charge for the day that you drive to your hospital appointment. At your appointment, the staff caring for you will assess whether you are eligible for reimbursement.
If you are, you will need to provide your congestion charge receipt and the registration number of the vehicle that you travelled to the appointment in.
A travel claim form will be completed and signed by your doctor, nurse or other health professional. You will then be able to claim the charge back at our cashier's offices.
Travel costs paid by contactless payment or Oyster card can be reimbursed.
You can get a list of journeys made by visiting Transport for London (TfL).
You'll need to register your contactless payment card or Oyster card on the TfL website to get a record of your travel.
NHS patients travelling within the ultra low emissions zone (ULEZ) and/or the central London congestion charge zone to and from an NHS appointment may be able to claim a reimbursement of any daily charges for that appointment.
For more information please contact the cashier's officer on 020 7188 2329 or 020 7188 2343.
Contact patient transport
Phone: 020 7188 2888
We answer this number from Monday to Friday, 7:45am to 7pm.
Waiting areas for patient transport
Guy's Hospital lounge
Address: Ground floor, Borough Wing, Guy's Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT
Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 9pm. Saturday 7am to 6pm. Closed Sunday.
St Thomas' Hospital lounge
Address: Lower ground floor, Lambeth Wing, St Thomas' Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7EH
Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 9pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Cancer Centre at Guy's
Open Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Cashier's offices
Our cashier's offices are open Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 4:30pm.
Cashier's office at St Thomas' Hospital
Phone: 020 7188 2329
Address: ground floor, North Wing corridor, St Thomas' Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7EH
We're opposite Creative Hair hairdressing salon.
Cashier's office at Guy’s Hospital
Phone: 020 7188 2343
Address: ground floor, Tower Wing, Guy's Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT
We're opposite the post room.
Last updated: March 2025