Dorset other transport schemes

Patient Transport Services

The Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS) is for patients who:

• Need to travel to and from an appointment at a hospital or clinic
• Are discharged from hospital (and meet the eligibility criteria), or
• Need to transfer between centres, and because of their medical condition cannot make their own way.

Meeting the eligibility criteria for transport

The criteria which determine whether or not you are eligible for NEPTS have been set by the Department of Health and are based upon whether your medical condition prevents you from travelling by any other means.

All operators of patient transport are now required to apply these rules, so whilst you may have previously been able to use patient transport this may no longer be the case if you are not deemed eligible.

Booking your transport

You will not always have to book your own transport. This is sometimes arranged by the hospital or clinic under which you are being treated. However, if you are referred for tests or treatment by your doctor you may have to contact the service directly. You will be advised of this by your surgery or clinician if you need to do this.

If you are asked to book your own transport, contact: 01278 727401.

Your call will be answered by a PTAC (Patient Transport Advice Centre) advisor, who will first assess whether you are eligible to use patient transport by asking you a few simple questions about your medical condition and mobility needs. Your answers to these questions will determine whether you are eligible.

You will need to have the following information to hand when you call PTAC:

• Date of birth
• Your NHS number
• Full address with postal code
• Your mobility needs – are you in a wheelchair, for example?

Once your transport is booked, you will be given a booking journey reference number.

You should keep this number in a safe place in case you need to contact PTAC again to make any changes.

Further information regarding booking patient transport can be found via this link.

Voluntary community cars

Managed by a mixture of volunteers and charities, community cars can help people to stay independent, participate in their communities and access vital public services and employment. They can help you go shopping and to medical appointments, visit friends and family or enjoy a day out.

Most community cars need to be booked in advance and may have eligibility criteria you need to meet. 

Practical things to think about and questions to ask when looking for a community transport provider include:

• What type of journey are you making? Some schemes are specific and can only help in certain situations. For example, medical appointments.
• Are you eligible to use the scheme?
• Does the scheme cover your area? There are many good neighbour volunteer schemes in rural parts of the country that are for people who live in those villages.
• How much notice is required to book a trip? 
• Is there a cost involved?
• How to book?
• Does it meet any accessibility requirements you have? For example, wheelchairs or scooters or getting in and out of the car. 

Community car schemes in Bournemouth and Christchurch

Bournemouth Community Transport Volunteer Social Car Scheme & Hospital Hop Scheme

This social car scheme is a community-run weekday service, with volunteer drivers, to help residents in Bournemouth access essential services. Journeys for hospital appointments are not covered. A week day ‘Hospital Hop’ shuttle service to Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals picks up from all areas of Bournemouth, for a fixed fare paid to the driver. This service is for residents living in postcode area BH1-BH11 inclusive.

Contact: 01202 309433

Cost: Annual membership fee £10, plus mileage per mile which starts and finishes from the driver’s home. Wheelchair-accessible transport is available. 

Age Concern Christchurch

Door-to-door minibus service for Age Concern Christchurch Friendship Centres, shopping trips to supermarkets in Somerford and Iford. Also, periodic day trips and private bookings depending on availability. Costs apply. Private bookings depend on distance. Outings price depends on venue.

Contact: 01202 488311

Christchurch NeighbourCar

Door-to-door weekday transport for attending doctors, dentists, hospitals and any other health related appointments. The service is for residents in BH23 postcode area (Christchurch and Burton). 50p per mile plus £1 for admin costs.

Contact: 01202 989632

Highcliffe Friends in Need

Voluntary car scheme, for Highcliffe and Mudeford, for medical and dental appointments only. Monday to Friday. Volunteer drivers use their own vehicles. Donations welcome.

Contact: 01425 279328

Community car schemes in East Dorset

Chase Community Friends

Dial-a-Ride service for access to doctors, hospital, dentists and opticians. Donations are suggested, based on mileage.

Contact: 01258 841321

Areas served: Cranborne Chase area (Tollard Royal, Farnham (Dorset), Chettle, Gussage St Michael, Gussage All Saints, Gussage St Andrew, Sixpenny Handley, Pentridge, Bowerchalke, Broad Chalke, Long Crichel, Moor Crichel, Wimborne St Giles, Woodyates and Martin)

Corfe Mullen Community Aid

A locally based charity offering services in Corfe Mullen, including a voluntary car scheme for medical appointments (including hospitals, doctors, dentist and optician). Donations are suggested.

Contact: 07000 780593

Friends of the Cranborne Practice

Voluntary car scheme for GP surgery clinics, opticians, dentists and hospital appointments, serving Cranborne, Verwood and surrounding villages. Operates Monday to Friday, and Saturday by appointment. Costs per mile apply.

Contact: 01202 822825 for Lake Road Surgery or 01725 517272 for Cranborne Surgery 

Two Bridges

Two Bridges is a voluntary care group offering a service to those with health problems and without access to transport. Services include transport to and from medical/dental appointments and transport for collecting prescriptions and for shopping. Fordingbridge, Alderholt, Godshill and Sandleheath residents only. Donations are welcomed.

Contact: 0845 838 5902

Holt Area Neighbourcare

Voluntary transport scheme for medical appointments, shopping, visiting friends etc. Donations are welcomed. Volunteer drivers can cover all times and days and cover Holt, Horton, Chalbury, Gaunts Common, Hinton Martell.

Contact: 01202 885559

Verwood and Area Good Neighbours Scheme

Voluntary car scheme for medical appointments and shopping. Subject to driver availability, clients can be taken to church and social events. Visits to within a 5-mile radius of Verwood (including Ringwood and Tricketts Cross). Plus appointments at Bournemouth, Poole, Salisbury, Blandford and Christchurch hospitals. Minimum charges apply. Normally operates Monday to Friday.

Contact: 07593 373580

Vision Wimborne Dial-a-Ride

Door-to-door transport for people living in Wimborne Minster and surrounding areas. Monday to Friday and by special arrangement at weekends and public holidays. Donations are suggested based on mileage (agreed at time of booking)

Contact: 01202 880699

West Parley NeighbourCar

A voluntary private car scheme for medical, shopping and social club attendance. There is a registration fee and voluntary donations based on mileage. West Parley residents only.

Contact: 07592 860104

Wimborne Area NeighbourCar

Monday to Friday. (Saturday or Sunday journeys may be undertaken as long as a driver is available and willing). Serves Wimborne, Colehill, Corfe Mullen, Merley, Sturminster Marshall, Witchampton and local villages. There is a one-off registration fee, plus fee per mile on all journeys.

Contact: 07912 273722

Community Car Schemes in North Dorset

Friends of Blandford Community Hospital

A voluntary car scheme for hospital visiting and appointments, doctors, dentist, opticians, chiropodists, prescription collection and shopping and social activities. Donations are welcome. The areas served is governed by GP surgeries.

Contact: 01258 450095

Gillingham Area Voluntary Car Link Scheme

A community scheme offering transport for people who are unable or find it difficult to use public transport. For journeys to and from the doctor, hospital and other medical appointments, hairdressers, shopping trips and social visits. A table of “Requested Donations” is provided to clients. For residents in Gillingham and surrounding villages in the SP8 postcode area of Dorset.

Contact: 07599311443

Hillside Car Scheme

Door-to-door service for all medically related appointments, hospital visiting, shopping and social activities. A donation per mile is requested.

Contact: 07501 344084

Areas served: Hazelbury Bryan, King’s Stag, the hillside parishes of Belchalwell, Fifehead Neville, Ibberton, Mappowder, Woolland and other villages south of Sturminster Newton

Marnhull Village Care

Voluntary car scheme providing transport for medical appointments (and hospital visiting in exceptional circumstances). Donations to cover fuel are requested.

Contact: 07434 638485

Milton Abbas NeighbourCar

Weekday voluntary car scheme with priority to medical appointments. Other activities such as lunch clubs may be accommodated. Allow a minimum of 48 hours’ notice for transport requests. Costs per mile and an initial registration fee apply.

Contact: 01258 470333

Areas served: Milton Abbas, Milborne St Andrew, Winterborne Clenston, Winterborne Whitechurch, Winterborne Stickland, Winterborne Houghton, Winterborne Kingston, Dewlish, Hilton, Ansty, Melcombe Bingham and Cheslbourne

Shaftesbury Car Link (SCL)

Provides transport for passengers from Shaftesbury, surrounding villages and Ashmore, who have difficulty accessing public transport. Medical, shopping and social visits. Weekends are for prebooked medical trips only. Suggested voluntary donations.

Contact: 07763 426664

Sturminster Newton and District Community Cars

A voluntary car scheme providing transport to hospital appointments, doctors, dentists, opticians, chiropodists, prescription collection, visits to banks or post office and for education and social activities including hairdressers. Donations are requested based on mileage.

Contact: 01258 471359

Areas served: Sturminster Newton and the following villages (and those in between): Broad Oak, Child Okeford, Durweston, Fiddleford, Fifehead Magdalen, Fifehead Neville, Fontmell Magna, Hammoon, Hinton St. Mary, Iwerne Minster, Kings Stag, Lydlinch, Manston, Margaret Marsh, Okeford Fitzpaine, Shillingstone, Stalbridge, Stalbridge Weston, Stourton Caundle, Todber, West Orchard.

Community car schemes in Purbeck

Bere Regis NeighbourCar

Door-to-door service for anyone with transport difficulties. Services for medical appointments, hairdresser, railway stations, shopping. Volunteers are prepared to wait for up to an hour. Initial registration fee, plus cost per mile.

Contact: 07855 396073

Areas Covered: Affpuddle, Almer, Bere Regis, Bloxworth, Briantspuddle, Carey, Cold Harbour (Wareham), Mapperton, Morden, Tolpuddle, Winterborne Kingston, Winterborne Zelston.

Communicare Swanage

Voluntary car and befriending service for general shopping, prescription and pension collection. Costs per mile apply. Serves Swanage, Studland, Langton Matravers, Kingston and Harmans Cross.

General Enquiries: 01929 426644 

Booking: 01929 427576 / 01929 477114 / 01929 480932 / 01929 288177 / 01929 427346 / 01929 423918 

07531 811375 (mobile number)

Corfe Castle Friends of the Surgery

Voluntary car scheme, operating Monday to Friday, providing transport for hospital appointments, doctors, chiropodists and prescription collection. This service cannot be used for visits to opticians, dentists or shopping trips. Donations are welcomed.

Contact: 01929 425890

Only for people registered with Corfe Castle surgery (includes surrounding areas such as Corfe, Wareham, Church Knowle, Harmans Cross, Langton Matravers, Worth Matravers, Kimmeridge, Ridge, Steeple, Kingston and Swanage)

Durlston NeighbourCar

Voluntary transport scheme, operating Monday to Friday, which uses local drivers to transport registered users from their homes, or a pre-arranged location in Swanage, to and from Durlston Country Park for volunteering, exercise or leisure. Costs per mile apply.

Contact: 01929 424443

Helping Hands

Voluntary car scheme providing transport to hospitals, doctors, dentists, opticians and any other medical appointments. A suggested voluntary contribution applies. Operates Monday to Friday (9am—1pm). Covers Wareham, Sandford, Carey, Ridge, Stoborough, Holton Heath, Nordon and Arne.

Contact: 01929 556655

Purbeck Assisted Shopping Scheme

A Wednesday service to Tesco Tower Park. An annual registration fee and concessionary fares apply. Morning service to Lytchett Minster, Lytchett Matravers, Upton. Afternoon service to Wareham, Corfe Castle, Wool on alternate Wednesdays.

Contact: 01258 473154

Share & Care – Wool and surrounding areas

Weekday voluntary car scheme to help the frail or housebound. The scheme offers transport to visit doctors, dentist, opticians, hospital or relatives in hospital, if no other means of getting there is available. Also collect prescriptions and/or deliver medication. Costs apply.

Contact: 07751 968944

Areas served: Wool and surrounding areas (Bovington, Bovington Camp, Coombe Keynes, East Lulworth, West Lulworth, East Stoke, Winfrith Newburgh, East Knighton, East Chaldon and East Burton)

Community car schemes in West Dorset

Beaminster Country Cars

Monday to Friday, voluntary car scheme providing transport for hospital, doctors, dentists, opticians, chiropodists, prescription collection and shopping. Fee per mile applies.

Contact: 01308 862039

Areas served: Beaminster, Blackdown, Broadwindsor, Burstock, Corscombe, Drimpton, Hooke, Mapperton, Marshwood, Melplash, Mosterton, Netherbury, Poorton, Rampisham, Salwayash, Seaborough, Stoke Abbott, Toller Porcorum and Waytown

Bride Valley Car Service

Voluntary car scheme providing transport for hospital, doctors, dentists, opticians, chiropodists and prescription collection. Contributions and booking fee apply.

Contact: 01308 897695

Areas served: Littlebredy, Long Bredy, Litton Cheney, Puncknowle, Swyre, West Bexington, Chilcombe, Burton Bradstock and Shipton Gorge

Bridport & District Good Neighbours Scheme

A good neighbour service providing help for simple tasks and transport for hospital visiting and appointments, doctors, dentists, opticians, chiropodists, prescription collection, shopping. Donations requested to cover expenses.

Contact: 01308 420483

Areas served: Bridport, Bothenhampton, Bradpole, Chideock, Dottery, Eype, Loders, Morcombelake, Salway Ash, Waytown and West Bay.

Buckland Newton NeighbourCar

A door-to-door service. No restriction on use within reason. For example, shopping, visiting a friend or for medical appointments. 48 hrs’ notice is required. Donations based on mileage requested.

Contact: 07733 849264

Areas served: Buckland Newton and Pulham, including Duntish, Henley, Cosmore, Brockhampton, Bookham and Beaulieu Wood.

Chalk Stream Car Service – Sydling St Nicholas

Weekday service for those who need to attend medical appointments, dentists, chiropodists, collect prescriptions and recreational trips at the discretion of the Chalk Stream Car Service.

Fee based on mileage.

Contact: 01300 341386

Areas served: Frampton, Sydling St Nicholas, Bradford Peverell, Grimstone, Stratton and Up Sydling

Cerne Abbas Voluntary Car Scheme

Weekday service, only for people who are registered with the Cerne Abbas Surgery but unable to get to appointments at the surgery or the local hospital because of age or illness. Fee based on mileage to cover costs, plus registration fee.

Contact: 01258 473154

Dorchester NeighbourCar

For registered clients who live within a 5-mile radius of Dorchester (plus Crossways). Will take to health-related appointments up to 70 miles from Dorchester. Fee per mile applies, plus registration fee.

Contact: 01305 251535 

Maiden Newton Country Cars

Voluntary car scheme for hospitals, doctors, dentists, opticians, chiropodists, prescription collection, visits to relatives or close friends in hospital and any essential journey for which there is no other alternative transport. Fee contribution per mile.

Enquiries 01300 320522 

Booking: 01300 320065

Areas served: Cattistock, Chilfrome, Compton Valence, Frome St. Quintin, Frome Vauchurch, Holywell, Kingcombe, Kingston Russell, Maiden Newton, Toller Fratrum, Toller Porcorum, West Compton, Wraxall and Wynford Eagle

Martinstown NeighbourCar

Weekday voluntary car scheme providing transport for medical trips for which there is no alternative transport, such as doctors, chiropodists, dentists, opticians and hospital appointments. Serves Martinstown, but may cover Winterborne Steepleton by special arrangement. Fee contribution per mile.

Contact: 01305 889410

Netherbury Volunteer Drivers

Voluntary car scheme providing access to essential services. Free of charge 

Contact: 01308 488635

Piddle Valley Neighbourhood Cars

Weekday voluntary service for people registered with the Cerne Abbas or Puddletown Surgery who are unable to get to appointments at the surgery or local hospital because of age or illness. Initial registration fee, plus fee per mile.

Enquiries: 01300 348566 or 07788 718289

Bookings: 01258 473154 

Puddletown NeighbourCar

Weekday voluntary car scheme for any health-related appointments including support groups. Registration is available only to patients of the Puddletown surgery. Initial registration fee, plus fee per mile.

Contact: 01305 267813

Areas served: Villages served by the GP at Puddletown, within a 5-mile radius. (Tolpuddle, Tincleton, Milborne St Andrew, Plush, Alton Pancras, Piddlehinton, West Stafford, Athelhampton, Burleston, Dewlish, Cheselbourne, Briantspuddle, Affpuddle, Melcombe Bingham, Piddletrenthide, Ansty and Stinsford).

Sherborne Good Neighbours

Good neighbours offers assistance to people of any age, who would welcome some neighbourly help, including essential transport. Fee per mile applies. Serves Sherborne and the immediate outlying area.

Contact: 01935 813153 / 07989 238309 / 01935 817306 / 01935 817405 / 01935 815806

South Perrott and Chedington NeighbourCar

Voluntary car scheme providing transport for hospital, doctors, dentists, opticians, chiropodists, prescription collection and shopping. Fee per mile applies. Serves South Perrott, Chedington and Mosterton.

Contact: 01935 891264

Sydling Taxi Bus

Shared taxi service from Sydling St Nicholas to Dorchester with pick-up points along route. Operated by Dorset Council. Fees apply. Concessionary fare passes are accepted. Serves areas between Sydling St Nicholas and Dorchester on Wednesdays.

Contact: 01305 228965

Thorncombe Community Cars

Voluntary car scheme for hospital and doctor appointments and for any other essential trips for which there is no alternative transport. Fees apply.

Contact: 01460 30994

TRIP Community Transport

Voluntary car service for medical appointments only including doctors, dentists, opticians, chiropodists, hearing tests and hospital appointments. Set fee for local journeys. Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Weekends considered if driver available. Serves Lyme Regis, Charmouth and Uplyme.

Contact: 01404 46529

Yeo Valley Health Transport

Aims to help those from Sherborne, and the surrounding villages, who currently lack reliable and affordable transport to and from their non-emergency health-related appointments within Sherborne and the south west. These can include dentists and complementary medicine clinics and for GP surgeries. Fee per mile applies. Operates 7 days a week.

Contact: 01258 473154

Community car schemes in Weymouth and Portland

Island Community Action (ICA) Community Car Scheme

Community car and minibus service providing transport for any occasion for those who need it. Including access to hospital, GP and other medical appointments (dentist and prescription collection). Also shopping, accompanied outings, trips and providing access to social events. Donations are suggested. Operates in Portland and surrounding area, Monday to Friday (weekends occasionally possible with suitable notice).

Contact: 01305 823789

Weymouth Community Angels

Transport to medical appointments for residents of Preston, Osmington and parts of Weymouth and surrounding area. Donations are invited based on mileage. Operates 7 days a week.

Contact: 01305 834866

Companion driving services

Some care providers offer paid companion driver services. These should be registered with the local authority in the same way as regular taxis.

Driving Miss Daisy

Driving Miss Daisy is a national organisation with franchises across the region.

Contact: 0333 014 6211