Herefordshire other 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 that 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.    

Making a booking   

E-zec Medical Transport Services Ltd operate the non-emergency patient transport contract within Herefordshire.  

To make a booking, call 0300 011 0017. 

Further information can be found on the E-zec website. 

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, get to medical appointments, visit friends and family or enjoy a day out.    

Most 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 which 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 and scooters or getting in and out of the car.     

Selected voluntary community car schemes in Herefordshire 

Ross Area Transport 

Ross Area Transport website

Royal Voluntary Service volunteers provide transport for trips where mobility issues can make it difficult for you to use public transport or if you live in rural areas with limited transport. Trips include medical appointments but can also include shopping or social activities. 

Contact: 07989 765 595

Hvoss Herefordshire voluntary organisation support service

HVOSS Community Wheels website

Community Wheels is a community car scheme for people in Central and North Herefordshire who are unable to use public transport and have no access to private transport of their own. Journeys need to be booked 48 hours in advance. A one-off registration needs to be made with Community Wheels before booking. 

Contact: 01432 343932

Companion driving services   

Paid companion driver services should be registered with the local authority in the same way as regular taxis.      

Helping Hands   

Helping Hands focus on tasks such as running errands, grocery shopping and support with social activities. 

Contact: 0333 060 4041   

Driving Miss Daisy  

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

Contact: 0333 014 6211