FOI 25-152 Changes to Patient Transport Qualifying Criteria

Freedom of Information Request

Reference
FOI 25-152 Changes to Patient Transport Qualifying Criteria
Request Date
31 Mar 2025
Response Date
24 Apr 2025
Information Requested

What changes have there been over the last few years, including dates, for the PATIENT TRANSPORT SERVICE, now part of the Ambulance unit. How disabled has one to be for this service over the last years including changes to the system? 

Response

There have been no changes made to the Patient’s Need Assessment that would impact any outcome for a patient. 

 

We are unable to release the Patient Needs Assessment as it has the potential to prejudice substantially the effective conduct of public affairs.  

It is for this reason section 30(c) of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act has been applied.  

  

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this request, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We believe there is a greater public interest in withholding the Scottish Ambulance Service’s Patients Needs Analysis as to disclose would do more harm in jeopardising the essential service and emergency service that the Scottish Ambulance service provides to the public.  

  

The Patient Needs Assessment (PNA) is a series of card sets built into the Cleric system and the system determines the eligibility of patient transport depending on the responses from the caller.  If these were made public this would essentially inform everyone how to become eligible and significantly impact the service.  

  

In the spirit of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002, we have provided a background of the PNA and expected eligibility criteria.  

   

Background   

 

It is expected that most patients should travel to and from hospital independently by private or public transport, with the help of relatives or friends if necessary. Ambulance transport is reserved for those who are unable to travel routinely by any other means and who have a clinical need according to the criteria laid out in the PNA 

 

Our Patient Needs Assessment (PNA) is designed to assess how a patient lives their normal day to day lives and whether they are safe to travel by other means.  Scheduled Care Coordinators will take callers through our PNA on every call.    

 

Patients are likely to qualify for Scheduled Care Patient Transport if they meet one or more of the following criteria:    

 

  • They require a high level of mobility assistance.    
  • Need specialised ambulance equipment to help them mobilise.    
  • Require oxygen and are unable to self-administer this during transportation.  
  • Have a medical condition or disability that could compromise their dignity or cause public concern on public transport or in a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle, and do not have access to appropriate private transport.   
  • Have a communicable disease with which travel on public/community transport or in a taxi is not advised, and do not have access to appropriate private transport.   
  • Have undergone surgery and the potential side effects of treatment are likely to require assistance during their journey. One way only.   
  • Have been clinically determined by an HCP as at risk from using alternative transport due to being immunocompromised and do not travel routinely by other means.   
  • They have a cognitive or sensory impairment that requires oversight to safely travel, and no escort is travelling.   
  • Have dementia, mental health conditions that means they are unable to make their own way with alternative transport and could be a risk to themselves or others.  
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