Red Funnel Healthcare Discount Scheme

A scheme to reduce the cost of foot passenger travel on Red Funnel’s passenger services for patients attending NHS funded NHS hospital appointments on the mainland has been available since 22nd November 2010.     This has been developed by Red Funnel in association with NHS Isle of Wight.    It provides patients attending NHS appointments at NHS hospitals in Southampton, and one person travelling with them, with a discounted return fare between East/West Cowes and Southampton.   

The discount fare applies on all journeys from 0845 or earlier if patients can prove they have an earlier appointment time.   The hospital appointment card or letter will need to be presented on the day of travel for tickets purchased in advance or at the ticket office.

Individuals making bookings under the scheme will need to complete a form (available at the Ticket Offices or downloadable from the Red Funnel website at www.redfunnel.co.uk/healthcarediscount) providing Red Funnel with simple information about the patient.  Red Funnel will share this detail with NHS Isle of Wight on a sample basis to audit the scheme and guard against fraudulent use.   At present bookings cannot be made on line.  A full list of terms and conditions will be available online.    Discounts will not be available on a retrospective basis.

Those attending appointments for radiotherapy should still claim a refund of their fares from Isle of Wight Council.    Those who are entitled to reclaim their fares under the current national NHS travel costs scheme, such as those on income support or other qualifying benefits, should also continue to do that.   More information about the national scheme can be found at http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/healthcosts/pages/travelcosts.aspx.

Red Funnel – Conditions of Scheme

• Applications must be made on Red Funnel’s Healthcare Travel Form. No other applications will be accepted.
• The discounted fare will be applied for the patient and a companion attending an NHS appointment or for NHS treatment under a named NHS consultant at Southampton University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
• The scheme only applies to return foot passenger journeys from East or West Cowes to Southampton.
• The scheme does not include the carriage of vehicles between East Cowes and Southampton.
• The discounted fare is only valid for outbound travel on the day of the treatment or procedure and travel is not permitted before 0845 hrs unless, at Red Funnel’s discretion, the appointment time requires the patient to travel earlier.
• The discounted fare normally applies to Day Return journeys for outpatient treatment but may be extended (for example for in-patient treatment) if the patient can prove that an overnight stay is required.
• To purchase tickets, foot passengers on the day of travel should hand the form in at the ticket office during opening hours together with a valid appointment card/letter.
• Short notice appointments without a card or letter will be considered at Red Funnel’s discretion. Failure to provide sufficient proof of a qualifying appointment will result in the full fare being payable at the ticket office and no refunds will be given in retrospect.
• The following are excluded from the scheme:
• Patients attending for treatment privately
• Patients attending treatment at a private hospital
• Patients attending appointments with GPs, pharmacists, dentists or opticians
• Patients in receipt of benefits which would entitle them to claim under the Hospital Travel Costs scheme (www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/healthcosts/pages/travelcosts.aspx)
• Patients attending a course of radiotherapy (the cost of travel incurred for this is reimbursed through a scheme operated by Isle of Wight Council)
• The scheme cannot be used in conjunction with any other Red Funnel offer or promotion and is not available to account customers. Scheme excludes vehicles and Season and Saver tickets.
• Discounted fares can only be obtained at time of booking and cannot be applied retrospectively.
• Tickets cannot be purchased online.
• Red Funnel and the local PCT and NHS Trusts will audit applications to guard against fraudulent use.
• Customers found misusing discounted tickets will incur a surcharge to the equivalent standard return fare and will be excluded from purchasing tickets under the scheme in future.
• Red Funnel reserves the right to review fares periodically and amend or withdraw this scheme at any time without prior notice.   This scheme is operated at Red Funnel’s absolute discretion.
• Travel is subject to availability and Standard Terms and Conditions of carriage apply.

National 'Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme

You may be able to claim a refund under the 'Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme' (HTCS) of the cost of travelling to hospital or other NHS premises for NHS-funded treatment or diagnostic test arranged by a doctor or dentist.   To qualify for help with travel costs under the HTCS, you must meet three conditions:

1. At the time of your appointment, you or your partner (including civil partners) must be receiving one of the qualifying benefits or allowances, or meet the eligibility criteria of the NHS Low Income Scheme.
2. Your journey must be made to receive NHS-funded non-primary medical or non-primary dental care services, to which you have been referred to by a GP, dentist or hospital consultant.
3. For referrals made by a GP or dentist, the service must be provided on a different day and in premises other than those occupied by the GP or dentist who made the referral.
   You can claim travel costs for your children if 2 or 3 above applies to them and you are in group 1 above at the time of the appointment. Any young person aged 16 or over may make their own Low Income Scheme claim – there is more information in leaflet HC11- Help with health costs (PDF, 287.10 kb).

You can claim travel costs for an escort, if your doctor, dentist or consultant says that for medical reasons you need someone to travel with you.  

You cannot claim help with travel costs, if

• you are visiting someone in hospital. However, visitors in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits may be able to receive assistance in the form of a Social Fund payment. Further information about this assistance can be obtained from Jobcentre Plus offices
• you are visiting your local GP or dentist for routine primary care services, such as check-ups, vaccinations, cervical cancer screening or minor surgery, as these are excluded from the scheme.  Urgent primary care services during the out of hour periods (i.e. between 6.30pm and 8.00pm weekdays, at weekends or on bank holidays) are also excluded.

Source: http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/healthcosts/pages/travelcosts.aspx.