Ambulance Service (Hansard, 30 January 2002)

§ Mr. Andrew Turner
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether responsibility to provide ambulances to return patients who need ambulance transport from hospital to their homes lies with the ambulance service(a) where the hospital is located and (b) where the patient lives. [28233]

§ Ms Blears
Arrangements for non-emergency patient transport are determined locally. Responsibility for arranging that transport usually lies with the hospital treating the patient. In general, if the patient is attending for an out-patient appointment then either a general practitioner or the hospital makes arrangements for the journey into and out of hospital. If the patient is being discharged from a hospital, responsibility for arranging transport usually lies with the hospital. The actual transport is provided either by a national health service ambulance trust or other organisation commissioned by the hospital for that purpose.
438W

§ Mr. Andrew Turner
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients, requiring ambulances to return from Hampshire hospitals to Dorset, were provided with them by(a) Hampshire ambulance service and (b) Dorset ambulance service in the last year for which information is available; [28232]
(2) how many patients, requiring ambulances to return from Hampshire hospitals to West Sussex, were provided with them by (a) Hampshire ambulance service and (b) West Sussex ambulance service in the last year for which information is available; [28230]
(3) how many patients, requiring ambulances to return from Hampshire hospitals to the Isle of Wight, were provided with them by (a) Hampshire ambulance service and (b) Isle of Wight ambulance service in the last year for which information is available; [28229]
(4) how many patients, requiring ambulances to return from Hampshire hospitals to Wiltshire, were provided with them by (a) Hampshire ambulance service and (b) Wiltshire ambulance service in the last year for which information is available. [28231]

§ Ms Blears
The information requested is not collected centrally. Information relating to ambulance service figures are available from the Chairman of the relevant ambulance service trusts.