Hospital Travel Costs Scheme Consultation
In January 2007 the Government launched a public consultation to see how the Hospital Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) can be improved. Under the HTCS, NHS patients on low incomes can reclaim their hospital travel and parking costs. However, the scheme is often poorly advertised and reimbursement procedures can be complicated so very few cancer patients actually use it.
Reseach published in our Cancer Costs report last June showed that:
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Only 4% of cancer patients facing travel and/or parking costs receive financial help
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Two thirds of cancer patients weren't even aware HTCS existed
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Cancer patients pay £325 on average in travel and parking costs during the course of their treatment
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Less than 20% of hospitals advertise the scheme in accordance with government guidance.
The consultation followed nearly two years of lobbying by Macmillan as part of our Better Deal campaign to tackle the financial hardship faced by people affected by cancer. It looked at how the HTCS is run and the best way to reimburse people for their travel expenses in light of the increased delivery of health services in community settings.
Macmillan's response
When putting together our own response to the consultation we spoke to hundreds of cancer patients and health professionals to gather information about their own experiences of the scheme, as well as their thoughts as to how it can be improved. Thank you to everyone who contributed to our response and who sent in their own response to the Department of Health.
Our key recommendations to government are:
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All patients should have the option of payment in advance
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Patients must be able to receive a payment on the day they attend an appointment, either before or after their appointment
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Patients should wait no longer than two weeks for reimbursement by post
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A senior member of staff should have lead responsibility for implementing the new HTCS guidance wherever it applies
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Effective systems must be put in place to: a) ensure the scheme is adequately promoted to eligible patients; b) encourage and monitor take-up of the scheme.
Read Macmillan's consultation response in full >> [PDF, 94kb]
We will now be working to ensure that our recommendations are included in the revised HTCS guidance.