What support with transport?

[Truetoself]

My elderly 86 year old frail relative (spinster) lives with my equally frail 80 year old mum. My mum is is the only one that drives but I am unsure how much longer she will be able to drive for.
Are there any funded transport options for them to get to appointments with the GP? Taxis are unfortunately too costly for them and I live too far away for short notice appointments that they usually have with the GP.

Maybe something like AGEUK might have a buddy system , where they have volunteers for this sort of thing ?

I would imagine you would still have to contribute/pay for petrol and stuff .

Not sure on the GP front, but hospital appointments you can prearrange transport for.

Yeah I don’t mind contributing or even paying a reasonable amount. Normal taxis are just extortionate

The town where DF lives has a volunteer group that does this - they even take people to the nearest city (an hour away) for hospital appointements. It might be worth asking on a local FB group, or at the GP practice if they know of anything.

Do they get attendance allowance? It’s about £200 a month iirc and is intended for exactly this stuff- taxis, cleaners etc when they can’t manage any more.

Yes I am aware of hospital transport - hopefully it is reliable. I know on the way back from hospital you need to wait until they collect everyone but if you need to get to a specific appointment i am unsure how reliable it is

Are they both getting attendance allowance?

You can't use patient transport for GPs appointments sadly.

Could the GP do a home visit? I know district nurses do.

I know there's a discounted taxi scheme in London for elderly people, but that's probably no help. It's extremely unreliable anyway tbh.

Most areas have a good neighbours scheme which uses volunteers and will charge fuel only. Have a Google for your area. My mum uses them for appointments that I can’t get her too

Are taxis too expensive? If you consider the cost of running a car, they might even be cheaper. That's what my parents are finding. They love Uber.

If they are currently running a car, surely when they get rid of it they can afford many taxis. They will not be paying for insurance, petrol, car service, mot and repairs. Will they get some money for the car they are giving up that they can spend on taxis?

GPs will only do home visits for house bound people.

The British Lions run this service where my parents live, in the north west.

I guess you just have to say she's house bound then. It doesn't have to be permanently house bound does it? They can't call the GP's office and say she can't come in because a taxi is too expensive. So they'll have to give a medical reason else they won't get the support they need.

I think it would be very wrong to say you are housebound when you are not.
GPs can see many people in the time it takes them to travel back and forwards to someone’s house and GP appointments are in short supply.
My own mother only goes out of the house with people holding both of her arms. She is not classed as housebound.

Is it that taxis are too expensive compared to running a car, or they just don’t want to pay for them?
FIL wouldn’t have ever paid for taxis. He trawled up and down the street trying to cadge lifts off neighbours. When he passed he had over £1m assets.

Agree with comments about cost of running a car vs taxis. Road tax and MOT must account for a fair few taxis!

@DiscoBob There are many truly housebound people who can’t get the doctor out to them, there just isn’t the capacity. Don’t you realise how overstretched the NHS is?!

Yeah I know. I just can't think how else to get her there. Taxi it is then I suppose.

taxis are OK for an occasional trip but it wouldn’t be sustainable for regular visits between them. I think they both have chronic health conditions that would be considered disabilities so I will look into attendance allowance. Thanks for that suggestion.

Go on to the community transport association website, they have a map with community transport groups you can search. Or google community transport in your area and you will find options. Most have a small fee to pay per trip. It may not meet all needs but could help.

There’s a community transport organisation in my area, they seem to provide transport (either minibus or in a volunteer’s car) for hospital or GP appointments or shopping trips to the local shopping centre or out of town supermarket.

There's normally a voluntary transport scheme or a local authority transport scheme. Google their area or contact their local voluntary services

I volunteer with a community transport in my area. We take patients to and from appointments, and that will include GP's and hospitals. We are a very reliable service.

In my parents area [ 150 miles from me ] their patient transport is nowhere near as good . They seem to be on time with collecting so the patient gets to their appointment on time, but my mum has had to wait hours to be picked up once her appointment has finished.

It very much seem to vary area by area.