Patient transport

Patient transport is a service that transfers patients to and from medical facilities in non-emergency situations.

Patient transport vehicle in New Zealand.

In emergency situations, patients are transported by the emergency medical services. Non-emergency patient transport is sometimes run by the same agency. It is typically provided to a patient who needs to be transferred to a facility that can provide a higher or more specialized level of care though emergency services may be summoned if this is urgent. It may also be used to transfer patients from a specialized facility to a local hospital or nursing home when they no longer require this specialized care, such as following successful cardiac catheterization due to a heart attack. Some countries also offer the service to patients who cannot make their own way to or from the hospital.