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Paid taxi to get to Hospital Appointments
Total expenditure by Scottish Ambulance Service on taxis has risen drastically since 2019 from £88.00 in total to £165,999 in 2023 to get patients to hospital. The ambulance service has said that they “are only arranged after clinical assessment through our Integrated Clinical Hub or clinicians at scene, who have identified that a patient requires further assessment at hospital”. The ambulance service is quoted saying that taxis are “safe and appropriate” and do not necessarily need an emergency ambulance to transport them to hospital.
Taxis & Private Hire vehicles are often used for Patient Transport because they are considerably lower cost than sending ambulances. This demonstrates how Health Services use Taxi and Private Hire services to lower the cost of transportation rather than send more expensive ambulances.
Freedom of Information Request:
Claiming back travel expenses
The financial support provided for appointments and terms around the service are detailed on the Scottish Ambulance Service website and set out clear guidelines for the rules around claiming travel expenses back.
https://www.scottishambulance.com/our-services/support-with-appointments/travel-costs