Newmedica Eye Clinic - Hampshire

If you're having trouble getting to your appointment or surgery, we can help. We offer to cover the cost of transport for NHS cataract patients who need it.

We'll send a private hire vehicle to collect you from your home or ferry port - early enough to make sure you arrive on time - and then take you back after.

To book, you'll first need to check the eligibility criteria below, and then ask for the service when you book your appointment with us. Please note, this service may not be available if you do not request it when booking your appointment.

To be eligible for the free transport service you must:

1. Be attending Newmedica Hampshire for an appointment, or to receive treatment, for cataract surgery as an NHS patient

2. Have no alternative means of getting to your appointment or treatment, through family, friend, hospital transport, community transport or public transport

3. Live closer to Newmedica Hampshire than any other Newmedica clinic, excluding patients travelling from the Isle of Wight (IOW). For IOW patients, please see the section below.

4. Be able to get yourself to and from, and in and out, of the supplied vehicle without assistance, or you're able to provide a carer or family member on the day of the transfer to support you getting to and from, and in and out, of the supplied vehicle.

We'll not be able to provide you with transport if any of the following apply:

1. You need to be transported to a location (including other hospitals) other than Newmedica Hampshire or your home or ferry port for IOW patients.

2. You require specialised equipment during the journey

3. You need to be closely monitored during the journey

4. You have a medical condition or have undergone major surgery (such as an organ transplant) where the potential side effects are likely to require assistance or monitoring during your journey

5. You have a medical condition or disability that could compromise your dignity or cause public concern in a private hire vehicle

6. You have a communicable disease with which travel on public transport or in a private hire vehicle is not advised

7. You have been clinically determined as at risk from using public transport due to being immunocompromised

8. You have cognitive/sensory impairment (such as dementia or some mental health illnesses)

9. You have significant motility/mobility impairment requiring specialised or adapted vehicles

10. You have safeguarding concerns in relation to travelling alone

11. You are unable to access existing free community transport options

12. The private hire company is unable to provide a vehicle due to a lack of available/suitable vehicles

Isle of Wight (IOW) Patients may be offered the transport service subject to the following:

1. Paid transport service for IOW patients is for a return ferry trip and mainland return travel to and from Hampshire Newmedica and Portsmouth Wight link ferries port where the cost of the ticket to travel may be refunded by Newmedica. It does not include any travel costs incurred by the patient when travelling on the Isle of Wight.

2. The offer of paid travel will be for the first initial appointment and the surgery day itself. Post operative appointment will be seen on the Isle of Wight by a registered opticians.

3. The offer of paid travel is either via the Fishbourne to Portsmouth (Vehicle) ferry or the Ryde to Portsmouth (foot) ferry. It does not include any travel from East Cowes or West Cowes to Southampton.

4. The paid travel offer will include 1 accompanying person with you, you are advised not to travel alone, particularly following your surgery appointment. Your accompanying person may not be able to stay with you onsite for the duration of the appointment due to the capacity constraints of the site.

5. Where attending for your pre operative assessment or cataract surgery as an NHS patient, Wightlink offer discounted travel costs. Hampshire Newmedica will cover the ferry travel costs up to the amount payable where the NHS patient discount has been applied. Tickets for travel must be purchased by the patient in advanced and Newmedica will refund the cost of travel up to the amount payable for a ticket where the NHS patient discount has been applied. Please see Wightlink website for further details.

6. Hampshire Newmedica reserves the right to choose the date and time of the appointment to ensure that the appointment can be attended by the patient. Where Newmedica have agreed to cover the cost of travel by ferry for IOW patients to attend a specific appointment and that appointment is amended or cancelled with less than 48 hours notice given to the patient, Newmedica shall cover the cost of travel the patient incurs due to the appointment amendment or cancellation.

7. Hampshire Newmedica reserve the right to withdraw this offer at any time.