What are the main problems with NHS patient transport?

NHS patient transport services are reportedly cancelled last minute, patients are told they don't meet requirements, and journeys can be excessively long.

Who is most affected by NHS transport issues?

Elderly individuals, disabled people, wheelchair users, and patients requiring life-sustaining treatments like dialysis are most impacted.

What are patients doing when NHS transport fails?

Some patients have to pay for expensive taxis, including wheelchair-accessible ones, or rely on neighbours and family for help.

Home / Health / NHS Patient Transport Fails: Patients Stranded

NHS Patient Transport Fails: Patients Stranded

17 Dec, 2025

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Summary

Patient transport services are sometimes cancelled last minute.
Patients are told they don't meet the requirements for transport.
Elderly and disabled patients face significant transport challenges.

NHS Patient Transport Fails: Patients Stranded

Non-emergency patient transport services, crucial for over 20,000 people daily, are facing significant issues. Healthwatch investigations reveal frequent last-minute cancellations and eligibility rejections, leaving vulnerable patients stranded. An 82-year-old wheelchair user incurred nearly £100 for an accessible taxi after patient transport failed to arrive in time for his operation.

Similar difficulties affect those with urgent medical needs. An 80-year-old woman was left without transport home after a six-day hospital stay, despite being unable to walk far. Dialysis patients, like a 52-year-old man, endure cancelled appointments and two-hour journeys due to shared transport, impacting their life-sustaining treatment.

Advocacy groups like Kidney Care UK and Age UK report transport as a major concern for patients. The services are described as "not fit for purpose" and are perceived to be rationed, detrimentally affecting older and disabled individuals' ability to reach vital appointments, sometimes altogether.