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Cancellation of patient transport

Posted By Compassionate Carer

"Cancellation of patient transport"

About: Scottish Ambulance Service / Patient Transport Service

(as a relative),

My mum lives in a care home and her initial appointment at ENT at Wishaw had to be cancelled as no patient transport was available. The care home received a call late on to say that they were unable to attend as scheduled to take her.

My mum needs to be seen urgently and I had to scramble around phoning taxi companies to secure a wheelchair taxi to take my mum to the appointment. She is in her 80s, has dementia and diminished mobility and I could not take her by car due to the moving & handling issues and could not physically get her out or in a car.

This is the first time ever that patient transport has been requested. This was a dreadful situation and I completely understand constraints and pressures on the service but this is completely unacceptable and no compassion whatsoever was shown when I called to try and resolve the situation. Does anyone realise the stress and pressure that carers are under to support elderly parents?

The end result is that the round trip has cost £50. This is not something that my mum can afford. I was told by Wishaw General that they could only reimburse bus fares. That is a joke as she has a bus pass, albeit she has never been able to use it in over a decade. Most of her pension is taken for her nursing home fees and she genuinely cannot afford to pay the cost and this burden has fallen to me.

I shall be taking this up with my local MSP to highlight this issue and I hope by doing so, that a better service can be provided going forward.

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Responses

Response from David King, Patient Experience Coordinator, Corporate Affairs, Scottish Ambulance Service 2 weeks ago
David King
Patient Experience Coordinator, Corporate Affairs,
Scottish Ambulance Service

Submitted on 12/04/2024 at 08:53
Published on Care Opinion at 08:53

Dear Compassionate Carer

Thank you for sharing your story. I am sorry to hear that your mother's transport was cancelled at short notice.

If you would like me to log a complaint and have the matter investigated may I ask that you email me at sas.feedback@nhs.scot with your name, Care Opinion name, address and contact details together with your mother's name and address and the date in question.

If you prefer to go through your MSP they will contact us and we will follow the same process and report back to them.

Kindest regards

David

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by Compassionate Carer (a relative)

Hi David

I have already been contacted by the Scottish Ambulance Service - they have high sickness levels and currently 13 staff are off sick. I was also informed that the fact I paid for a taxi to take my mum to her appointment will go against her if she requires an ambulance in the future, which she requires as she has to go back for a biopsy.

Because I funded a taxi it looks like my mum has the funds to do this which she most definitely does not have. (And neither do I, I am retired!). As I said - late eighties, advanced dementia and diminished mobility. Can only stand with 2 people assisting to transfer from chair to wheelchair and a hoist is used in her nursing home.

I really don’t understand the criteria for patient transport and what you need to do to be able to request assistance to attend outpatients. I most certainly will be in touch with my MSP to raise my concerns regarding the Scottish Ambulance Service.

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