Planned community transport
The Planned Community Transport service enables eligible patients in the Perth metropolitan area to travel to and from community locations, including:
- hospital to home
- home to hospital
- home to a medical facility
- transports between medical and aged care facilities.
Booking a community patient transport
Transports may be booked on the day required, or in advance and can booked online or via telephone. Discounted rates are offered to users for the same type of transport if you book at least 24 hours in advance.
To book a patient transport for yourself or on behalf of someone else, choose a provider below. Each time you use a new provider, you will need to register for the online portal by phoning the contact number first.
Service providers
There are 4 service providers available for planned community transport: Medical Edge, National Patient Transport, St John Ambulance and Wilson Medic One. They each offer a range of transport options, including standard vehicles, wheelchair vehicles, and stretcher vehicles. It is recommended that service users select the most appropriate vehicle type based on individual patient needs.
Pricing
Eligible community patients who are in receipt of an age pension receive a free transport service, with 100 per cent of the cost met by the Department of Health. Eligible community patients who are not in receipt of an age pension are required to pay 50 per cent of the cost of transport, with the remaining 50 per cent met by the department.
Each service provider has the same pricing, which has been set by the Department of Health. This includes a booking fee and per-kilometre charge. Contact a service provider to obtain specific pricing details.
Eligiblity
To be eligible, a patient must:
- be a Western Australian resident
- have a written referral from a medical practitioner specifying that it is clinically necessary for them to be transported using the service
- be over the age of 65, or 55 for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples'.
Clinically necessary means that the patient:
- requires transport to or from a Medical Facility to diagnose or treat an illness, injury, condition, disease or symptoms
- is expected to receive diagnosis and treatment of the illness, injury, condition, disease or symptoms which meets accepted standards of medicine
- requires minimal clinical supervision, monitoring or care during transport
- has a referral or other documentation from a medical practitioner confirming that the patient requires clinical supervision, monitoring or care during transport.
Last reviewed: 08-08-2022
This publication is provided for education and information purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical care. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not imply endorsement and is not intended to replace advice from your healthcare professional. Readers should note that over time currency and completeness of the information may change. All users should seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional for a diagnosis and answers to their medical questions.