Am I eligible for care at home?

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust provides NHS care for people in the community, in a range of settings including people’s own homes; nursing homes; health clinics; community hospitals; minor injury units and in mobile units.

Some of our services, for example our community nursing teams, physiotherapists or occupational therapists, may see you at home if you are housebound. We will make sure you are assessed before determining if you are eligible for home visits.

If you’re able to leave your home with or without some help, for example, to visit your GP, dentist or go shopping, you may not be considered housebound.

What happens if I’m not housebound?

If we are unable to see you at home you will be offered care in a community setting. This may be at a clinic, hospital, mobile unit or another place. We will try to make sure you do not have to travel too far.

If you find it difficult to travel you may be able to access the patient transport service.

What happens if my condition changes?

Our aim is to get you better as quickly as possible and our teams will talk to you about your treatment plan and how long they expect to see you at home. It may be that your condition improves enough for us to discharge you or, sometimes, you may be well enough to visit your GP or one of our clinics, for example a specialist wound clinic.

While you might like to be seen at home, if you are well enough to visit one of our clinics, you will be given a scheduled appointment time so you will not have to wait around for one of our teams to visit.

We appreciate that regular visits can be reassuring, social and something you look forward to and losing this can be upsetting. Talk to your healthcare professional about how you feel. If you are lonely or are living with a long-term condition and would like support, we can put you in touch with organisations and groups that can help.

What if I struggle to get to my appointment?

The patient transport service is a non-emergency service for people whose health means they cannot get to or from their NHS appointments in any other way. Non-emergency patient transport to our sites is provided by G4S. You can find out if you’re eligible for patient transport or book an appointment by calling the freephone G4S booking line.

Patients, carers or family members who phone the booking line will be taken through a simple, confidential assessment process to check eligibility.

You can find out more about the service, including the standard of care you can expect online. If you are not eligible, G4S will be able to provide you with alternative services, including details about volunteer drivers (also on page two).

The eligibility criteria are set nationally and are applied in a fair and consistent way.

Contact G4S, the patient transport service

Phone 0800 096 0211, freephone, open 24 hours a day

Email km.pts1@nhs.net

Visit www.km-pts.co.uk

What is a volunteer driver scheme?

Volunteer driver schemes are for people who find it difficult to use public transport. You can use it to get to important medical appointments, like visiting your GP, hospital, dentist, chiropodist/podiatrist or optician.

In some areas, social trips to places like day centres, may also be included.

If you have a medical need and/or are housebound, you may be entitled to access the patient transport service.

If you use a volunteer driver scheme you will probably have to pay. Make sure you check how much it costs before you agree.

Community transport services

To find a service in your area, visit www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/travelling-around-kent/community-transport or contact Kent County Council on 03000 41 41 41, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.