The Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS) provides ambulance transport for people across Wales who, for medical reasons, are not able make their own way to and from healthcare appointments at clinics, hospitals and day centres.
The service is available to patients who meet eligibility criteria set by Welsh Government. Like many NHS services, our NEPTS service is experiencing significant pressures. Last year alone, demand exceeded the service's available capacity by more than 30,000 patient journeys, meaning we were unable to provide transport for every patient who required it.
We understand how important healthcare appointments are and recognise the anxiety, frustration and inconvenience when transport arrangements change. While we always try to support those who need us most, increasing demand means we are not always able to meet every transport request we receive.
Welsh Government has clear criteria about who is eligible for non-emergency transport in Wales. Because we want to help as many people as possible, over time the way we apply that criteria became too flexible and, now that demand has grown significantly, we need to implement the eligibility criteria more strictly.
From 1 April, we have begun to strengthen the way we assess eligibility for transport and improve how we plan and manage journeys. Our aim is to improve services for those patients who most need our help, by making sure that we have transport available so that there are fewer cancellations and our service is more reliable.
We know that some patients who are used to having transport with us may no longer be eligible for travel, which is why we’re taking a phased approach to applying the existing criteria more accurately. We want to give everyone who contacts us a fair assessment and proper advice on how to find help if we are unable to take you. We will always be fair and will aim to significantly reduce the numbers of people who have their transport cancelled at short notice, which we know is really difficult for our patients, and health board partners, to manage. There will be no changes for those patients being taken for life sustaining treatment like renal dialysis or radiotherapy.
As part of our improvement plans, we are also reviewing how we use vehicles and staff across Wales, planning our journeys better, introducing new digital booking and cancellation options, and improving the information we provide to patients when they make a booking. This reflects feedback provided by patients who tell us that, where transport cannot be provided, they would prefer as much notice as possible so they can make other arrangements.
Our priority is to make the best possible use of the resources available and ensure transport is provided to those who most need our help.
When you contact us to make a booking, our call handlers will ask questions to help understand your individual circumstances and assess your eligibility for the service. This is to ensure every patient receives a fair and consistent assessment based on their needs. We recognise that everyone's situation is different. For example, having access to a car does not necessarily mean someone can travel independently, particularly if they are receiving treatment or have other circumstances that affect their ability to travel safely.
Even if you have used the service before, there is no guarantee that you will automatically qualify for transport. This may be because your circumstances have changed or, over the coming months, we will be applying the Welsh Government's eligibility criteria more consistently to ensure that support is available for those patients with the greatest need.
If you are unsure whether you are eligible, or you do not have realistic alternatives available to you, please do still contact us on 0300 123 2303, we will always consider your individual circumstances and explain the options available.
There may be occasions when all available transport on the day you need to travel has already been allocated. Where this happens, we will discuss alternative options with you where appropriate. We recognise that family, friends and public transport are not available or suitable for everyone, and that factors such as disability, the cost of travel, geography or a lack of support can make attending appointments more difficult.
Eligibility for non-emergency patient transport is determined by criteria set by Welsh Government and is based on a patient's medical condition and their ability to travel safely to and from their appointment.
A full explanation of the eligibility criteria can be found here. If you are unsure whether you qualify, please contact us. Our staff will talk through your circumstances and explain what support may be available.
If you are not eligible for the service, we will explain the reasons why and provide information about alternative support or travel options where appropriate.
You can help us make the best use of the service by:
Last year, more than 60,000 bookings were cancelled by patients within four hours of the planned pick-up time, significantly reducing our available capacity. Every booking cancelled before the day of travel creates an opportunity for us to support another patient who may have no alternative way of attending an essential healthcare appointment.
We remain committed to working with patients to improve the service and provide a more reliable experience for those who rely on us.
Information about these changes will be shared on our website and social media. We recognise that not everyone accesses information online, and we will continue to work with healthcare partners to ensure patients are made aware of the changes through a range of channels, like information at GP practices and at clinics.
You can tell us about your experience by completing our patient survey, which can be found here.