A companion for hospital appointments: there and home again

Most older people are expected to get to hospital appointments under their own steam; NHS non-emergency patient transport is reserved for people with a medical or mobility need that makes other transport unsafe. For everyone else, the problem is practical: getting there, finding the department, waiting, remembering what was said, and getting home. A companion does all of that. They collect your parent, travel with them in the companion's car or a taxi, wait through the appointment, and bring them home, and if your parent wants, they write down what the doctor or nurse said so the family knows too.

Why appointments are the visit families ask about most

An outpatient appointment at Salford Royal, the MRI or Wythenshawe is a whole day for someone in their eighties: the taxi that may not come, the walk from the drop-off to the right department, an hour in a waiting room, ten minutes with a consultant who talks quickly, and the journey home tired. For a family two hours away it is the day they cannot be there, and the day something is most likely to be missed.

What the NHS will and will not do

NHS non-emergency patient transport exists, but it is for people who cannot safely travel any other way. The national eligibility criteria published by NHS England in 2022 cover patients who need oxygen, monitoring or specialist equipment on the journey, who cannot travel independently because of a cognitive or sensory impairment, who have a significant mobility need such as a stretcher or wheelchair support, who are attending haemodialysis, or where there is a safeguarding concern. A relative or carer can travel with the patient when the patient cannot be left alone or needs a familiar person.

Everyone else is expected to travel by private or public transport, a taxi, or a lift from family. If your parent is on a low income, the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme can refund fares. What the NHS does not provide is the person: someone to go with, to wait, and to listen.

What a companion does on an appointment day

Before. Confirms the time and the department the day before, checks your parent has the letter, their medication list and their glasses, and agrees the pick-up time with them.

Getting there. Collects your parent from home and travels with them, in the companion's own insured car or by taxi, whichever suits. Parks, walks them to the right place, checks them in.

Waiting. Sits with them. Waiting rooms are where most of the anxiety lives, and company is most of the cure. The companion keeps an eye on the time and the board.

In the room, if wanted. It is your parent's appointment. Some people want the companion beside them to listen and to write down what the doctor or nurse says; some prefer to go in alone. The companion never speaks for your parent and never advises on treatment.

Afterwards. The pharmacy if there is a prescription, a cup of tea if there is time, and home. Then, if your parent is happy for it to be shared, a note to the family: what was said, what happens next, and how your parent seemed.

Who should not use a companion for this

If your parent needs to be physically supported in and out of a car, or help in the toilet while they are out, that is personal care and needs a CQC-registered provider or the NHS transport service. If they use a wheelchair for longer distances, tell us on the first call so we can talk through what the day involves rather than send someone who cannot safely help. If your parent has a mobility need that meets the NHS criteria, ask the GP surgery or the hospital department to book patient transport, and a companion can still meet them there and sit with them.

Booking it

Appointments can be a one-off visit or part of the weekly slot. Give us the date, the hospital and the time when you know them, and a companion your parent has already met will do the day. One-off visits cost the same as regular ones; transport is at cost, and there is no charge for the companion's own return journey. Prices are on the pricing page, and the how it works page explains the free meet-and-greet that comes first.

Common questions

Does the NHS provide transport to appointments?

Only where there is a medical or mobility need. The national eligibility criteria cover people who need oxygen or monitoring on the journey, who cannot travel independently because of a cognitive or sensory impairment, who need a stretcher or wheelchair support, or where there is a safeguarding concern. Most patients are expected to use private or public transport, a taxi or a relative.

Can a companion go in to the appointment?

If your parent wants them to, yes; it is your parent's appointment and their choice. Many people want someone in the room to listen and take notes. Others prefer the companion to wait outside. Either is fine.

Will the companion make decisions or give medical advice?

No. A companion is company and practical help, not a nurse, a doctor or an advocate. They can note what was said, collect a prescription on the way home and remind your parent of the next appointment, but they never advise on treatment.

What does it cost?

A companion's time is charged by the hour at our published rate, plus transport at cost: mileage in the companion's car or the taxi fare. Appointments are usually booked as a one-off visit or folded into the weekly slot. Prices are on our pricing page.

Sources

Every figure above comes from one of these. If one has moved or changed, tell us and we will correct the guide.

1. NHS England, Non-emergency patient transport services eligibility criteria, May 2022
2. NHS, Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme
3. Whitegreen Companions, prices