Transport to Regular Hospital and Clinic Appointments
If you are going somewhere regularly, and you rarely know what time you will be finished, the standard way of booking a car does not fit. You can book an open return with us — no time, just a number to text when you are actually ready — and you can set up a whole course of appointments in one go instead of booking each one.
We are not patient transport
RushXO is a licensed private hire company. Our drivers are not medically trained, our cars are ordinary cars, and we are not a substitute for NHS Patient Transport Services or for an ambulance. If you need clinical support during a journey, a stretcher, or staff who can look after you on the way, you need a proper patient transport service — ask the department you are attending.
We also cannot give any medical advice, including on whether you are well enough to travel. That is a question for you and your clinical team. It is also worth checking whether your travel is already paid for before booking privately.
Booking a Course of Appointments
If you are going to the same place three times a week, or every three weeks for six months, there is no reason to book it thirty separate times and re-type the same addresses each time.
Send us the schedule and we will set the whole thing up as one booking.
- Send it however you have it — an appointment letter, a list, a photograph of a card from the clinic. We would rather read your format than make you retype it.
- Move or skip a single one without disturbing the rest. Appointments get rescheduled; that is normal and it does not collapse the series.
- Cancel a single journey at short notice if you are not well enough to go. [CONTENT TEAM: state the position on late cancellation for recurring bookings. A standard cancellation charge applied to someone too ill to attend is the wrong policy and will lose the account.]
- Your preferences carry across every journey in the series, so you are not explaining them again each time.
- The same driver where we can manage it — [STATE HONESTLY WHAT DISPATCH CAN DO. DO NOT WRITE “WHERE AVAILABLE”.]
- One invoice rather than thirty receipts, if that is easier — and see account travel if an organisation is arranging it.
Stop it whenever you like, and there is no minimum.
The Way Home
Getting there is the easy part. You have a time, you work backwards from it, and a car turns up. Getting home is the problem, because nobody knows when you will be finished — not you, and often not the department either.
So booking a return time means guessing. Guess early and the car sits there charging you for waiting. Guess late and you are standing outside a hospital at the precise point in the day when you are least able to stand outside anything.
Book an open return instead. No time on it. When you are actually ready, you text or call the number on your confirmation, and we send a car.
- You are not paying for a car to wait. The vehicle is not sitting in the car park with a meter running.
- Tell us roughly when you might be out — a two-hour window is fine, “sometime this afternoon” is fine — and we plan around it. If you are earlier or later, that is what an open return is for.
- Text works as well as calling. One word is enough.
- Someone else can call for you — a nurse, a relative, whoever is with you. Tell us who to expect.
- If it turns into an overnight stay, tell us when you can and there is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay.
Waiting time from the moment you call is [X MINUTES, TYPICAL — STATE HONESTLY, INCLUDING THAT IT VARIES]. We would rather give you a real number than a flattering one, because you will be standing in a corridor counting.
Content team: this is the page’s central promise and it is a dispatch process question, not a software one — can a booking be held with no return time, on a list, and prioritised when the passenger calls? Confirm it works, and confirm the typical response time from real data rather than from hope. If dispatch cannot do this, the section comes out and there is very little page left.
Where You’re Going, and What We Record
Some destinations say something about you that you may not want said. A building name in a booking, read out in a car or sitting in a record, can disclose more than you intended to anyone who happens to see it.
You do not have to accept that to get a lift.
- Give us a street address rather than a building name if you prefer. A postcode and a road works perfectly well.
- The driver gets an address, not a department. Nothing on the job sheet describes what is at the destination.
- We do not record what a destination is, and we do not tag or categorise bookings by type. Nothing about one journey carries into the next unless you ask us to save it.
- You can be dropped anywhere you like — the road before, a side entrance, the car park. Put it in the notes.
- No reason is needed for any of this, and none will be asked for. If a driver ever asks, tell us.
- Drivers do not discuss passengers, and are expected not to ask personal questions to fill a silence.
If you would like us to save anything about how you travel, we will ask you first and you can change or delete it at any time. We keep the practical part — open return, help to the door, no radio — not the reason for it.
What Travels With You
- Medication, including anything that needs to stay cold. Bring it in whatever you normally use. Tell us if you need the car kept cool and we will set the temperature before you get in rather than after.
- Sharps and used supplies travel with you in your own container. Drivers do not handle them and will not be asked to.
- Equipment and bags — feed pumps, drainage bags, a cool bag, a stack of paperwork. Tell us roughly how much so we send a car with room.
- Food and drink in the car is fine. Always, on any journey, without asking. If you need to eat quickly, do it.
- Personal oxygen: [CONTENT TEAM — DO NOT PUBLISH ANYTHING HERE UNTIL THE INSURER HAS CONFIRMED THE POSITION IN WRITING, INCLUDING ANY NOTICE REQUIREMENT. IF IT IS NOT COVERED, SAY SO PLAINLY AND SIGNPOST AN OPERATOR WHO DOES.]
You do not need to tell us what any of it is for.
The Car on the Way Back
People often feel considerably worse leaving than they did arriving. These are all ordinary requests and none of them needs explaining.
- No radio and no conversation. Ask once and we will note it so you never have to ask again.
- Temperature set before you get in, warmer or cooler.
- Windows, front seat or back — your preference.
- We can stop. If you need to, say so; there is no charge and no discussion.
- Help to the door at the other end, and with bags.
- Extra time getting in and out, built into the booking rather than charged as waiting.
- A bag in the car, if that would be one less thing to worry about. Ask and it will be there.
Drivers are asked to let you set the tone of the journey, and to not take a quiet passenger personally.
Travelling With Someone
- Anyone travelling with you is a passenger and is not charged as an extra.
- Tell us if they need to sit next to you so we size the car for it properly.
- Booking for someone else is normal — give us their name and number as well as yours, and tell us who the driver should contact and who should get the confirmation.
- If you are arranging it for a relative, you can set up the whole course of appointments and never think about it again. Ask us to send you the confirmations.
Hospital Sites and Entrances
Large hospital sites are the most common reason a journey goes wrong at the last hundred metres.
- Tell us the entrance, not just the hospital. The main entrance is frequently nowhere near where you need to be, and on a big site the walk between them is substantial.
- Say which door you want on the way back too — it is often not the one you went in by.
- Drop-off points change, particularly where there is building work. If you know the current arrangement, tell us; if you do not, we will find out rather than guess.
- Allow more time than the distance suggests. Hospital roads and car parks are slow, and that is the part of the trip most likely to make you late.
- If you need to arrive by a fixed time, give us that rather than a pickup time and we will work backwards and tell you honestly whether it is comfortable or tight.
Help With Travel Costs
This is not our area and it may cost us the booking, which is exactly why it is worth saying.
Depending on your circumstances, some or all of the cost of travelling to NHS treatment may be covered — and separately, some people qualify for NHS-arranged patient transport rather than paying for a car at all. We cannot tell you whether either applies to you, and we would be wrong to try.
- Ask the department you are attending. They deal with this constantly and will know what applies to your treatment.
- Ask about NHS patient transport eligibility if getting there under your own steam is genuinely difficult. It is a different service from ours and a better one for some journeys.
- Ask before you book privately, not after — it is usually harder to claim retrospectively.
- Current NHS guidance is at [VERIFY AND LINK].
If none of it applies, or if you would rather just book a car, we are here.
Content team: signpost, never explain. The moment this section starts describing eligibility criteria in our own words, we are advising on a scheme we do not administer and it will silently go out of date. Verify the link at publication and at every review. Check the NHS page in this set is not making the same argument — see §00.
Access Requirements
Everything about vehicles, mobility aids, assistance dogs, saved access profiles and what we can and cannot do is on one page rather than repeated here: accessible private hire.
The short version: tell us once, we save it, and it goes to the driver before they accept the job. We never ask what your condition is, only what makes the journey work, and we never ask for proof of anything. See also assisted and door-to-door travel.
Vehicles, Fares and Terms
- Vehicles and luggage — passengers and capacity by vehicle type.
- How our pricing works — where fixed pricing applies, the fare agreed at booking is the fare you pay. Nothing on this page is chargeable as an extra: not a stop, not help to the door, not the extra minutes.
- Waiting, changes and cancellations — including how open returns and recurring bookings are treated.
How to Book
Tell us where, and which entrance
A street address is fine if you would rather not name the building.
Tell us when you need to arrive
Rather than a pickup time. We work backwards and say honestly whether it is comfortable or tight.
Choose an open return
Or a fixed time if you know it. With an open return, give us a rough window and text us when you are ready.
Say if it is a series
Send the schedule in whatever form you have it and we will set the whole course up at once.
Anything that makes the car right
Temperature, quiet, help to the door, room for equipment, someone travelling with you. Once, not every time.
Confirm
Written confirmation with your reference, the number to text for the return, and driver details before travel where available.
Call "020 8888 9988" if you would rather talk it through, or message us on WhatsApp.
Why Book With Us
Open returns
No time booked, no car waiting on a meter. Text us when you are actually ready.
One booking, a whole course
Send the schedule once. Move or skip one without losing the rest.
Discretion
A street address rather than a building name, and nothing recorded about where you went.
Tell us once
Your preferences carry across every journey in the series.
Fixed fares where applicable
Agreed at booking, with no surge pricing and no hidden costs.
Nothing charged as an extra
Not a stop, not help to the door, not the extra minutes.
No questions
We never ask what your condition is or why you are going.
UK-wide coverage
Local clinics, regional centres and long-distance treatment journeys.
What we don’t claim: we are not a patient transport service, not an ambulance service, and not a healthcare provider. Our drivers are not medically trained and cannot provide clinical care, assistance with medication, or advice of any kind about your health or whether you are well enough to travel. Where a journey needs more than a licensed private hire car, we will say so and point you towards the right service.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t know what time I’ll be finished. Can I still book a return?
Yes — book an open return. No time goes on it. When you are actually ready you text or call the number on your confirmation and we send a car. Give us a rough window if you can so we can plan, but being earlier or later than it is exactly what an open return is for.
Will I be charged for the car waiting?
Not with an open return — there is no car sitting in the car park. We send one when you call. If you would rather a car did wait for you, we can do that too, and waiting is charged as set out in our booking terms.
How long will I wait after I call?
Typically [X MINUTES], though it varies with time of day and location. We would rather give you a real number than a flattering one, because you will be standing somewhere counting.
Can I book all my appointments at once?
Yes. Send us the schedule in whatever form you have it — a letter, a list, a photo of a card — and we will set the whole course up as one booking. You can move or skip a single journey without disturbing the rest, and stop it whenever you like.
What if I’m too unwell to go on the day?
Tell us as soon as you can. [CONTENT TEAM: state the cancellation position for recurring bookings. A standard late-cancellation charge applied to someone too ill to attend is the wrong policy.]
Do I have to tell you why I’m going?
No, and we would rather you didn’t. We need an address, a time and a name. We do not ask what a destination is, we do not record it, and we do not tag bookings by type.
Can I give a street address instead of the name of the clinic?
Yes. A road and a postcode work perfectly well, and the driver receives an address rather than a department. You can also be dropped anywhere you like — the road before, a side entrance, the car park. No reason needed and none will be asked for.
Is this the same as NHS patient transport?
No. We are a licensed private hire company. Our drivers are not medically trained and our cars are ordinary cars. NHS Patient Transport Services are a clinical service with trained staff, and for some journeys they are the right answer and we are not. Ask the department you are attending whether you qualify — and see help with travel costs, because your travel may already be covered.
Can the driver help me with my medication, or if I feel unwell?
No. Drivers cannot administer or handle medication and cannot provide any clinical care or advice. If you become unwell in the car the driver will call 999 and stay with you. If there is a realistic chance you will need support during the journey itself, a private hire car is the wrong service and it is worth asking about patient transport.
Can I bring medication that needs to stay cold?
Yes, in whatever you normally use to carry it. Tell us if you would like the car kept cool and we will set it before you get in. You do not need to tell us what it is.
Can I bring personal oxygen?
[DO NOT PUBLISH UNTIL THE INSURER HAS CONFIRMED IN WRITING. IF NOT COVERED, SAY SO PLAINLY AND SIGNPOST AN OPERATOR WHO DOES.]
Can I ask for no radio and no conversation?
Yes, and it is an ordinary request. Ask once and we will note it against your bookings so you never have to ask again. Same for temperature, windows, and being dropped at a particular door.
Can we stop on the way home if I need to?
Yes. No charge and no discussion. Eating or drinking in the car is fine on any journey, without asking.
Can I have the same driver each time?
[STATE HONESTLY WHAT DISPATCH CAN DO — “YES”, “WHERE WE CAN, BUT WE CAN’T PROMISE IT”, OR “NO”. DO NOT WRITE “WHERE AVAILABLE”.]
Can someone travel with me?
Yes — a companion, relative or carer is a passenger like any other and is not charged as an extra. Tell us if they need to sit next to you so we size the car for it.
Can I arrange this for a relative?
Yes, and it is common. Give us their name and number as well as yours, and tell us who the driver should contact and who should receive the confirmations. You can set up an entire course of appointments on their behalf.
Can my appointments be invoiced to an organisation?
Yes — see account travel. One invoice rather than a stack of receipts, against a purchase order or cost centre if you use one.
Transport Services Statement
Private hire, not a clinical service
RushXO is a UK licensed private hire company providing pre-booked ground transportation. We are not a patient transport service, not an ambulance service and not a healthcare provider. Our vehicles are ordinary licensed private hire vehicles and carry no medical equipment.
Our drivers are not medically trained and cannot provide clinical care, administer or handle medication, assist with any medical procedure, or offer advice of any kind about your health, your treatment, or whether you are well enough to travel. If a passenger becomes unwell, a driver will call the emergency services and stay with them.
If a journey requires clinical support, a stretcher, or staff trained to care for you on the way, you need NHS Patient Transport Services or a specialist provider. The department you are attending can advise on eligibility, and may also be able to tell you whether help with travel costs is available to you.
About This Page
Published 26 July 2026 · Last reviewed 26 July 2026 · Next review due 26 July 2026
This page is reviewed at least twice a year, and the NHS guidance it links to is re-verified at each review. If anything here didn’t match your journey, please tell us — particularly the waiting time for open returns, which is the number people rely on.
RushXO [REGISTERED COMPANY NAME], company number [NUMBER], [REGISTERED ADDRESS]. Private hire operator licence [NUMBER], issued by [LICENSING AUTHORITY]. ICO registration [NUMBER].
Book once, not thirty times
Send us the schedule and we’ll set up the whole course, with an open return on every one so you’re never guessing what time you’ll be finished. Tell us once how you like the car and we’ll remember.
"020 8888 9988"
WhatsApp +44 7466 237870
rushxo.com