The HSE is confirming that cuts to Non-Emergency Patient Transport affecting patients attending Tipperary University in Clonmel were made due to “current financial constraints within the allocated hospital budget.”
In a statement to Tipp MID West Radio the HSE’s Regional Press office says Tipperary University Hospital has had to review and amend the eligibility criteria for the service “to preserve this valuable service in south Tipperary so that the most in need and vulnerable patients can still access it.”
The hospital will continue to assess applications under this scheme to try and accommodate patients throughout the year. However, all patients must meet the revised criteria before being approved for transport. These criteria include the patient’s exceptional medical need, the person’s age (75 years and over) and mobility and appointment type. The Hospital says Patients travelling for radiation therapy or chemotherapy will not be affected by these changes.
The Non-Emergency Patient Transport (NEPT) service, which provides non-emergency patient transport for some patients in the South East region, was set up in 2013 on a discretionary basis by the HSE for the South East region. This service is based on medical need and mobility criteria.
