Welsh Ambulance Service Patient Transport – What you can expect
Transport times
- We do not know the exact time patient transport will arrive at your home. There is a high demand for patient transport so you will need to be prepared to wait some time to be picked up and taken home.
- Patient transport may pick you up from home up to 2 hours before your appointment
- For AM appointments: please be ready from 8am
- For PM appointments: please be ready from 12pm
- Please do not worry if you arrive at Velindre earlier or later than the time on your appointment card- we know that patients travelling by patient transport may arrive earlier or later and we will aim to treat you as soon as we can.
- For any ‘on the day’ enquiries about your transport please telephone Welsh Ambulance on 0300 1000 012, or Velindre Ambulance Liaison Office on 029 2031 6974. Staff at Velindre cannot track ambulances.
Patient responsibilities
Please help us use patient transport wisely. To help us, please:
- Try to use own transport whenever possible
- Be ready when transport arrives.
- If you have transport booked and you cancel your hospital appointment, cancel your transport too.
- Let us know before 3:30pm the day before your appointment if you no longer need transport or if you have made other transport arrangements.
- Help us reduce escorts* - We understand that some patients need medical escorts to bring them into hospital.
*An escort is someone who is travelling to the hospital with you. This could be a medical escort such as a nurse or carer. Or it could be a family member or friend.
- If you are able to travel safely without a friend or relative, more patients can be collected by one vehicle. Remember that each patient and escort attending Velindre Hospital is paid for by Velindre.
For patients requiring an overnight stay
- Transport will be available to bring patients into Velindre for overnight admission. If an escort is travelling with you please note that we will not be able to provide transport home for the escort.
- Unfortunately hospital transport is not available on a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday
What is a wasted patient transport journey?
A wasted patient transport journey is when:
- An ambulance or volunteer car is cancelled after 3:30pm the day before your appointment.
- An ambulance or volunteer car is cancelled on the day of your hospital appointment or visit.
- An ambulance or volunteer car arrives at an address and there is no reply.
- A patient turns an ambulance or volunteer car away because they are not ready to travel.
- A patient goes home with a friend or relative and uses their own transport, when ambulance transport has been booked.
At times, missing your transport cannot be helped. However, wasted journeys cost Velindre money and inconvenience others.
Please help us use transport wisely
Useful telephone numbers
To cancel patient transport, please telephone:
029 2031 6974
Monday – Friday 8am – 4pm
For all ‘on the day’ transport enquiries please telephone:
Welsh Ambulance 0300 1000 012
or
Velindre Ambulance 029 2031 6974
Liaison Office
Please, if you don’t need us tell us