We are lucky in this country that if you have an accident or become ill you are able to go to an NHS hospital, and seek treatment at their accident and emergency department. Most hospitals are located in central city locations and provide treatment around the clock in order to cater for largest number of people as possible.

Whilst this service is paid for through national insurance contributions there can be additional costs incurred when attending hospital especially if you do not live close by. Recently an elderly lady was taken to Ninewells hospital by ambulance as she was feeling unwell. On arrival she was treated by hospital staff until she was well enough to be discharged and go back home. Now while this may seem like a success story for the lady involved, it turned out to be a very expensive trip. This was because the lady was discharged at 2:30am in the morning and had no means of getting home. Ambulances are typically used only to transport sick people to hospital, and while there are some community ambulances which will transport elderly people they typically do not run a 24 hour service. Stranded at the hospital at 2:30am the lady had not other option but to take a taxi home which cost her £35 pounds.

Unfortunately this was not an isolated case. Another lady took her son to Ninewells hospital in March as there was no available out of hours doctor close to where she lived. The boy was treated at the hospital and was well enough to go home at 4am. Public transport did not start running until 6:30am and therefore mother and son had to take a taxi home costing more than £30 pounds. Only a week later the mother herself felt unwell and return to Ninewells hospital in an ambulance to be treated. Again the time that the woman was well enough to be discharged was in the early hours of the morning and she was forced to take another taxi to get her home. Because the mother was claiming benefits, money was tight so she tried to claim back the cost of the fares from the hospital. She received a cheque for twelve pounds to cover both journeys.

The lady then contacted the hospital and made a verbal complaint but was told that it was expected that she would have waited at the hospital until public transport became available at 6:30am. NHS Tayside who oversee the hospital argue that when a patient attends an accident and emergency department of a hospital and is well enough to go home then the hospital staff often try and contact relatives or friends to pick them up. It is only if a patient requires hospital transport for medical reasons that this would be provided. The question is should patients who have been in an accident and feel unwell be able to claim for transport expenses if no public transport is available to them? Perhaps in cases where there is a lack of medical facilities available close by then this should be considered. But ultimately it is the patient's responsibility to get themselves home.