Patient Transport Bill [HL]

To introduce a Bill to make provision in respect of transport for patients attending National Health Service hospitals and health care facilities.

In progress Current stage: 2nd reading (Lords)

The story so farThe Patient Transport Bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 23 November 2009 by Baroness Greengross (Crossbench). It is now at second reading in the House of Lords. Second reading is the first debate on the overall principle of the bill; if the bill clears it, detailed committee scrutiny follows.

What the bill does

The purpose of the Patient Transport Bill is to ensure the provision of patient transport services is co-ordinated between primary care trusts, hospital trusts and local transport authorities. Through such co-ordination, the Bill aims to provide for more effective, user-focused transport services, and to prevent problems such as patients missing appointments from a lack of available transport. Key areas <ul><li>The Bill would place a duty on primary care trusts, hospital trusts and local transport authorities to co-ordinate the provision of patient transport services.</li></ul><ul><li>In fulfilling this duty, primary care trusts, hospital trusts and local transport authorities would have to have regard to efficiency and economy.</li></ul><ul><li>Primary care trusts, hospital trusts and local transport authorities would have to specify in their annual reports how they had fulfilled these obligations.</li></ul>

Patient Transport Bill [HL]

Progress through Parliament