Financial assistance with patient travel

Patient Travel Administrator
NHS Highland
Assynt House
Beechwood Park
Inverness
IV2 3BW 

• email nhshighland.patienttravel@nhs.scot 
• phone 01463 704 902

Patient Travel Administrator
Finance Department
Kilmory Castle
Lochgilphead
PA31 8RT

• phone 01546 790 080
• or phone 01546 790 081
• or phone 07890 435 590
• or phone 07890 435 591

To make a flight booking or obtain a ferry warrant:

• Campbeltown - phone 01586 552 105
• Islay and Jura - phone 01496 301 031 or email ptc.islay@nhs.scot
• Tiree - phone 01879 220 323

Patients who have a permanent address in the NHS Highland area, and authorised escorts.  An escort is defined as being for a patient who needs assistance to ensure the safe completion of the journey to or from hospital.

Escorts must return home at the earliest opportunity, however if they choose to stay they must do so at their own expense.  Escorts who are required to accompany patients to and from hospital may either return home and travel back to hospital on patient discharge, or remain near the hospital - provided the cost of accommodation does not exceed that of the second return journey which would otherwise have been required.

Patients travelling by car are entitled to be reimbursed for fuel expenses at the prevailing mileage rate.

Patients travelling by public transport - standard class bus, train and ferry fares can be reclaimed upon production of receipts.

Taxis - travel by taxi should be seen as a last resort and reimbursement will be considered in certain circumstances, for example no public transport availability.  Taxi travel must be approved prior to the journey.

Accommodation - patients and approved escorts will be entitled to have overnight stay costs refunded at the current rate per person per night, if the stay is unavoidable due to the time of the appointment, admission or discharge.

The following expenses cannot be claimed:

• visiting expenses
• loss of earnings
• subsistence (meals and refreshments)
• parking fines
• childcare costs
• car hire

For appointments dated after 1 December 2024:

• patient contribution: £10
• mileage rate: £0.14 per mile
• overnight bed and breakfast rate: up to £50 per person per night
• rate for staying overnight with family or friends: £10 per night

The rate of reimbursement is based on the HMRC fuel advisory rate for a petrol engine 1400cc to 2000cc. The reimbursement rate for each financial year will be determined by the advisory fuel rate from 1 September. The rates can go down as well as up.