§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision will be made to meet the additional travelling expenses of transplant patients receiving extended post-operative care following the reorganisation of the National Cardiothoracic Transplant Service. [2832]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 9 July 2001]: Under the hospital travel costs scheme, transplant patients are treated in the same way as any other patients receiving treatment at specialist centres. Patients who are in receipt of benefits including weekly Income Support, Working Families Tax Credit, Disabled Persons Tax Credit, or Income Based Jobseeker's Allowance are entitled to receive help with their hospital travel costs. Other patients may be eligible for full or partial reimbursement on the basis of a low income and patients who would not normally fall into the low income category might become entitled to receive help if they have to travel long distances frequently.