Plain-English Guide · Updated 2026
NHS patient transport vs a private medical taxi — who qualifies, and what to do if you don't
Free NHS transport to appointments exists — but it's for a narrower group than most people expect, and many patients only find that out the week of their appointment. Here's how eligibility actually works, the reclaim scheme most people miss, and how a private medical taxi fills the gap when NHS transport says no.
1. Who actually qualifies for free NHS transport (NEPTS)
Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services are commissioned by NHS trusts for patients whose medical condition means they can't safely get to an NHS appointment any other way — broadly, people who need:
- a stretcher or to travel lying down;
- oxygen or other clinical support during the journey;
- trained crew assistance because of their condition (not just help with bags or stairs);
- transport where travelling alone would risk their health.
What usually doesn't qualify: not owning a car, cost of travel, ordinary mobility difficulty, or preferring not to use public transport. Eligibility is assessed by your trust or its transport provider — typically a short phone assessment when you book, using national eligibility criteria. If you think you qualify, ask the number on your appointment letter about "patient transport" as early as possible; assessments and slots take time.
2. The reclaim scheme most patients miss (HTCS)
If you don't qualify for NEPTS but you're on certain benefits (or meet the NHS Low Income Scheme criteria), the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme lets you reclaim reasonable travel costs to NHS appointments made on referral — usually the cheapest suitable transport, claimed at the hospital or by post with receipts. It won't cover a private car service in most cases, but for eligible patients using buses, trains or their own fuel it's real money left unclaimed. Ask the hospital's General Office or check the NHS website for current rules.
3. When neither applies: the private medical taxi
Most patients sit in the middle: not clinically eligible for NEPTS, not on qualifying benefits, but genuinely anxious about managing a normal taxi or public transport with a condition, after a procedure, or with a wheelchair. That's the gap a private medical taxi is designed for — an ordinary private-hire fare with a medical-grade service model:
| Standard taxi / app | Medical taxi (RushXO) | |
|---|---|---|
| Driver briefing | None — a normal job | Patient, unhurried, briefed to assist |
| Assistance | Kerb to kerb | Door-through-door, to the department |
| Waiting / return | Meter runs or car leaves | Wait-and-return fixed at booking; pickups timed to clinics |
| Wheelchair users | Rarely equipped | WAV with ramp & restraints on request |
| Price certainty | Varies; delays cost | Fixed fare — a delayed clinic never changes it |
Typical uses: outpatient appointments and scans, dialysis and treatment courses (block bookings), post-procedure discharges where the hospital requires an accompanied ride home, Harley Street and private clinic visits, and elderly relatives travelling alone. Local journeys from £7/mile with a minimum fare; longer hospital runs quoted fixed in advance — see medical & hospital transport and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
4. Booking checklist for a medical journey
- Book around the appointment, not the pickup — give us the clinic time and we plan backwards, with buffer.
- Say what help is needed — wheelchair (foldable or WAV), walking-frame stowage, a slower pace, assistance to the department.
- Decide wait-and-return vs two bookings — for appointments under ~2 hours, wait-and-return at one fixed price is usually simpler.
- Block-book courses — dialysis or radiotherapy runs can be scheduled as a series with the same driver where possible.
- Keep receipts — if you're HTCS-eligible for any leg, you'll need them to claim.
Frequently asked
Who qualifies for free NHS patient transport?
Patients whose medical condition means they can't safely travel any other way — needing a stretcher, oxygen, or trained support en route. Assessed by your trust; mobility difficulty or lack of a car alone doesn't normally qualify.
What if I don't qualify but can't afford travel?
Check the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme — patients on qualifying benefits can reclaim reasonable costs of NHS-referred appointments. Ask the hospital's General Office.
How is a medical taxi different from a normal taxi?
Service model: briefed unhurried drivers, door-through-door assistance, planned waiting and returns, WAVs on request, and a fare fixed in advance so clinic delays never change the price.
Can the driver wait during my appointment?
Yes — book wait-and-return and it's one fixed price agreed at booking. Non-emergency service only; in an emergency call 999.
Transport that doesn't rush you
Fixed-fare medical journeys across London and the UK — patient drivers, door-through-door help, wheelchair-accessible vehicles, 24/7.