When the ward says you can leave
Being told you are medically fit to leave is not the same as having a way home. You might be unable to sit in a car. You might need a wheelchair or a stretcher. There might be nobody who can help you into a seat and then into the house. Families also call because the time the ward has given keeps moving, and they cannot wait in a car park all afternoon.
A private discharge ambulance is a booking you make and pay for. It is not the hospital’s free NHS transport. If you are eligible for that and you want it, ask the ward how it is arranged. If you have been asked to make your own way, Medic 1 can price the journey.
Where a discharge can go
Home is not always the address you were admitted from. We take people to their own house, to a son or daughter’s house, to a care or nursing home, to a hospice, or to another hospital. The care home and hospice page is the one to read if the destination is a care setting rather than a private address.
The area pages name Ysbyty Gwynedd, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Wrexham Maelor, the Countess of Chester, the Royal Liverpool, Aintree, Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge. A discharge from further away is the same kind of booking. Coverage is North Wales and throughout the UK.
What the ward and the crew both need
Tell us the hospital and the ward, the time you have been given, and that the time may change. Say how the person moves, whether oxygen is in use, and who will meet them at the other end with keys. Steps at the house matter, so mention them. You do not have to choose a vehicle.
The ambulance is white, with yellow and green Battenburg markings, and the crew wear green uniforms, so the ward can see the private crew has arrived. The first hour of waiting is included. After that, waiting is £65 per hour, so tell us if the ward time slips. A relative can usually travel if there is a seat.
Private ambulance prices
Discharge journeys use the same private rate as any other booking. The form asks for the hospital and the address you are going to, and shows a price before you pay.
Private ambulance transport is £115 per hour, with a 3-hour minimum, so journeys start from £345.
The first hour of waiting is included; after that, waiting is charged at £65/hr.
How pricing works
- Enter your journey and the patient’s needs.
- See your price online straight away.
- Book and pay securely.
The price covers the vehicle and crew for the journey. The first hour of waiting is included; after that, waiting is charged at £65/hr.
How to book
If the person can leave today, phone. Same-day discharge transport is not booked through the website.
Same-day bookings are by phone only, subject to availability. Call 01248 848337. The phone is answered 24 hours a day. You can email contact@medic1.co.uk. If you ask for a callback, we always call back within 24 hours. Online prices are for journeys from tomorrow onwards. This is planned transport. In an emergency, call 999.