Getting elderly relative to hospital appointments - how?

Dm uses a local volunteer service, either to be driven from A to B or the volunteer can accompany. She pays an annual subscription and charge for petrol etc according to mileage and support involved. Local council or Age UK branch should have a register of any such local support schemes.

Just thought of something else. I used to make mums appointments late in the day if I could, she wasn't good at getting up early, so could take her time.

I drive as a volunteer for the RVS locally to me and we do this - a small charge is made but much cheaper than a taxi and I take the client in to their appointment

Yes hospital transport. They're great in our area. They make sure they're safe and comfortable on their arrival back at home too.
We have to ring a week in advance to book, they take a lot of details so they can send the appropriate help.

My grandfather had Parkinson's. When he had hospital appointments hospital transport would be booked. One day they collected him at 9am, his appointment was at 11am. He was taken to the correct clinic in the hospital by a porter then basically left in the waiting room in his wheelchair until his appointment time. After his appt, the nurse rang the transport for him to be collected. A porter took him back down to the entrance to wait. He was eventually collected at 5pm and got home at 6pm. He had not eaten, not had his midday meds, had wet himself because he was unable to get to the toilet or speak. It was appalling. From then on, between the family we always accompanied him to hospital appointments,

Hospital transport is an option but as PP said it's a long day for the patient and they'd have to be ready to be collected sometimes hours before the appointment.

Could you take her to help your DSis? Or go with her in a taxi?

Hospital transport, they use mini bus or ambulance, used to helping with mobility, absolute god send for my DM.

I used to have to take whole days off to get my Dad to and from appointments - it was 30 minutes to his flat, then another 30 minutes to get him out the door, 30 minutes back to the hospital, hours sat at one outpatient clinic after another, then a rebooked appointment, 30 minutes home for Dad, an hour or so settling Dad back in, and then 30 minutes home. I felt that really he was getting little benefit as he'd be exhausted for days after (he was early 80s by this stage). So when he went to his GP the next time, I went with him and explained how much it was taking out of Dad attending all these appointments (diabetic clinic, eye screening, physiotherapy, rheumatology, podiatry) and that I couldn't keep taking entire days off to enable it. They were great, and made a note on his medical records that Dad was too frail and his care was then GP based. At some stage, I think you have to accept that age and frailty leads to a decline in health that doesn't need constant hospital assessment.

We used to sit in outpatient clinics clogged with elderly patients - and beware that hospital transport is likely to be a whole day. They drop you in the morning (never suitable if its an early appointment) and then they round everyone up again around 4pm. That in itself can be exhausting especially if someone is sat in a wheelchair for that entire time. I used to work in care and had many escort visits that had me nearly chewing my own arm off in frustration at it all.

My MIL uses hospital transport. It needs to be booked in advance and can take a lot longer than a taxi if it's the type of transport that has several patients using it.

We have a volunteer transport in our neighbourhood. People will drive you down, take you in and then wait for you. You are expected to pay mileage and any parking fees so the volunteers aren’t left out of pocket. I’d have a look on Facebook or community page.

My mum’s local surgery runs a volunteer hospital car service.
Ring them and ask about that.
You might need to book well in advance.

Hospital transport? It’s usually volunteer-run. DM did this when she needed daily radiotherapy.