Ferry Travel:
Red Funnel Healthcare Travel Scheme
If you’re travelling to NHS medical appointments on the mainland or on the Isle of Wight, you’re eligible for discounted foot passenger rates on Red Funnel. A special return passenger ferry fare of £12.80 per person is available for the patient and a companion. Where the patient is a child, the discounted fare is available for up to two adults travelling with the child. Please note the fare applies to sailings from West Cowes after 08:45, although exceptions may be made for earlier appointments.
Click here to be redirected to this scheme.
If you need to travel for hospital or dental appointments with your car, we offer a 50% discount on standard vehicle rates for your journey, or your crossing price will be capped to a maximum of £31 each way, whichever is of lesser cost to you.
To request a car booking, please complete the form below and a member of our team will be in touch as soon as possible. Noting to submit your request, in a timely manner before the appointment to allow for processing. Requests made 1 or 2 days beforehand are not guaranteed. Retrospective claims are excluded.
Click here to complete the request form.
Wightlink Discount for NHS appointments
If you need to travel from the Isle of Wight to the mainland for an NHS-funded hospital appointment, you can get 50% off your ferry crossing with Wightlink.
You will pay a maximum of £35 per single crossing in a vehicle ensuring you a low price, even at peak times of travel.
The NHS discount is available for the patient plus one other traveller, or if the patient is a child, two parents are permitted to travel alongside. The offer does not apply to appointments with GPs, dentists, pharmacists or opticians.
Click here to be redirected to this scheme.
Hovertravel Patient and Visitor to Patient Fares
Hovertravel offer discounted fares for NHS patients and visitors to patients.
Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS)
If you're referred to hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostic tests by a doctor, dentist or another primary care health professional, you may be able to claim a refund of reasonable travel costs under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) if you are in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits.
The Isle of Wight NHS Trust administers this scheme.
Patient Transport Service
The Patient Transport Service provides transport 7 days a week for service users in cases of medical need for outpatient appointments, admissions, discharge and transfer.
If the Patient Transport Service is required and identified by your GP for your first hospital clinic appointment your GP will authorise and book your transport. Further requests for transport must be identified and authorised by the Consultant or Allied Health Care Professional who is treating you.
Click here to be redirected to this scheme.
Optio Voluntary Car Service
Optio Voluntary Car Service is a membership scheme for the elderly and frail which operates with volunteer drivers using their own vehicles to take passengers to pre-booked destinations. These are often for medical appointments, but can also be for other reasons.
Click here to be redirected to this scheme.
Daisy Buses
Wessex Cancer Trust provide Daisy Buses that are to support anyone from the Isle of Wight or the Channel Islands with free transport to Southampton General Hospital (SGH) and Queen Alexandra Hospital (QAH).