Help with travel costs

Patients or their partner who receive a benefit or are on low income, and have been referred to hospital for other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostic tests by a GP, dentist or primary care professional, may be able to claim a refund of reasonable travel costs under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS).

Refunds will be made on the cheapest, most appropriate means on transport. In most cases, this will be public transport or private motor vehicle based on fuel mileage allowance, plus parking costs. 

Further information about the scheme can be found by clicking here. 
 

Making a claim

At RJAH, claims are paid on behalf of the Trust by the Post Office Counter in the League of Friends Shop which can be found in the Main Entrance. Patients, who are attending clinics outside the Post Office opening hours or in the community, may submit a claim to NHS Business Services via a claim form. Physical copies of the form can be found at RJAH, or you can download a copy online.

Claims under HTCS have to be made within three months and the original appointment letter, proof of benefit status plus any tickets and/or receipts must be provided.

Patients and their partners who receive Universal Credit will be required to provide a screenshot or live view on their phone of their current claim status. This is due to Universal Credit only being administered online and some forms of benefits have income caps. The Trust is required to check eligibility before making a payment.