In conversation with: our patient transport service crews

In 2023/24 our patient transport service completed over 542k planned and unplanned patient journeys across the North East. Largely unknown to the majority of patients who use our service for emergency care only, our patient transport service performs a crucial role which bridges the demands of social care and healthcare in the UK.

In their day to day jobs, our ambulance care assistants and integrated care assistants transport patients to and from appointments at the region’s hospital departments, health centres, dialysis units, cancer units, and private clinics. For patients who require additional support for disability or mobility issues, or those who require special adjustments for health conditions or the use of oxygen tanks when travelling, the service is a lifeline. In addition to ensuring patients get the care they need, the service helps prevent missed appointments which cost the NHS millions of pounds per year.

This is the face of healthcare, and by extension the ambulance service, in 2025. As the NHS and social services become busier, it falls on our frontline colleagues to provide care for patients who otherwise may fall through the cracks.

Cath, integrated care assistant

Cath Massey is an integrated care assistant based out of Pallion station in Sunderland. She’s worked for the service since 2014, beginning her career at the ambulance service as bank staff. Quickly, Cath was asked to join the patient transport service as an allocated staff member providing transport services at Monkwearmouth Hospital’s mental health day unit. In this role, she provided transport for patients with mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, as well as those who had been diagnosed with dementia.

Following the COVID pandemic and the unique challenges it placed on the ambulance service, Cath then started work on the service’s ‘Pass to PTS’ project, where patient transport service crews would be allocated 999 patients who did not need an emergency response from our emergency care crews, but who still needed to be transported to A&E. Pass to PTS became an incredibly important part of our patient transport service’s role, providing support on the emergency frontline to ensure patients received timely care in line with national guidelines, and in turn led to the creation of the integrated care assistant role.

On her role, Cath said: “Most runs we complete are straightforward, but each day is different and each patient has their own needs which maintains the variety, interest, and pleasure of the work. We also have patients that travel on a regular basis and we have built a good relationship with them and their families and carers.

“Should we encounter any concerns or problems with any part of a patient’s journey, we utilise equipment and our colleagues to complete the journey. Then we feedback to team leaders and request an assessment of needs to ensure that future journeys are comfortable for both patients and us.”

Because crews provide care to vulnerable patients, the nature of the patient journey can change with each patient’s condition. It’s important for patients and other healthcare providers who make bookings to the service, keep us updated with any changes to a patient’s health so that our transport crews can provide the most appropriate care. Doing this not only ensures patients are best cared for, but also helps the wider NHS prevent missed appointments which can have negative impacts on their services and their abilities to provide care to their communities.

“There are also occasions,” Cath continues “when we may be concerned about a patient’s welfare, both physical and mental, and may look into raising a safeguarding request with the service’s safeguarding team and social services.”

Despite some of the challenges she faces in her role, Cath is an incredibly enthusiastic and passionate member of the patient transport service team, and takes her role and responsibility to her community very seriously: “I enjoy all aspects of my work. It’s an enjoyable role and there’s nothing to not like about it. Each day is different.

“I particularly enjoy the interaction with the patients and their families, whether that is simply conversation or offering reassurance and practical support. I like being able to use my communication and problem-solving skills to find the best ways to support our patients, and I really enjoy working alongside my colleagues and being part of a bigger team.

“For anyone wanting to join the patient transport service team, I would say you should go for it and embrace the opportunity to be part of a valuable service and process.”

Chris, ambulance care assistant

Interested in joining our patient transport service team? Find out more by visiting: https://www.neas.nhs.uk/join-team-neas/careers/patient-transport-service