Helping patients with travel costs
Patients eligible to receive help with hospital travel costs, including ULEZ charges, can now make a claim by emailing the cashier’s team, in addition to claiming by post and in person.
According to data from the Barts Health Outpatient Equity Dashboard, a significant proportion of patients who miss their hospital appointments are from the most deprived areas within our local areas (15%). In comparison, patients from the least deprived areas have the lowest missed appointment rates (9%).
The Addressing Inequalities in Care Team at Barts Health have identified a number of the barriers that stop patients or their relatives from attending hospital appointments, including unaffordable transport costs.
A recent survey conducted by Whipps Cross Hospital found that many people were unaware of the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Subsidy Scheme which provides reimbursement of travel costs to and from hospital.
Are you eligible?
You can claim for yourself, and on behalf of a child (younger than 16 years old) or if you are a carer for someone you are escorting to an appointment. You or your carer will have to meet the below conditions:
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Must have a referral from a healthcare professional to a specialist or a hospital for further NHS treatment or tests (often referred to as secondary care)
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You (or your partner) must receive one of the qualifying benefits or allowances listed on the travel cost guideline, or meet the eligibility criteria for the NHS Low Income Scheme
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Your appointment must be on a separate visit to when the referral was made.
Help with travel costs guidelines
How you can claim
TheBarts Health Help with travel website page includes all the information patients need to make a claim. In order to make a claim you will need proof of entitlement (for example a HC2 or HC3 certificate for low income), a completed travel claim form (you can retrieve this from your hospital department) and proof of travel, i.e. receipt.
For ULEZ reimbursements you can fill out the below form.
There are three ways you can make a claim. You can visit the cashier’s office in person or post your documentation with receipts and bank details to:
Cashier’s Office
2nd Floor Central Tower
The Royal London Hospital
Whitechapel
London
E11FR
Alternatively these documents can be emailed to the cashier’s office.
The cashier’s office can also be contacted: on 0203 3594 1040 or 0203 3594 2010.
Read more
Help with travel costs
Help with travel costs guideline [pdf] 119KB
ULEZ travel costs form[docx] 40KB
Cashier's Office email: bartshealth.cashiers@nhs.net