Information for patients from the Highlands & Islands area travelling to and from Hospitals within NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde via Glasgow Airport

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1 This booklet was produced in conjunction with NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, NHS Highland, the Scottish Ambulance Service and Loganair Ltd This booklet can be made available in large print, braille or other languages. If required, please contact: The Locality Manager NHS Highland Argyll & Bute CHP Mid Argyll, Kintyre & Islay Locality Mid Argyll Community Hospital & Integrated Care Centre Blarbuie Road Lochgilphead Argyll PA31 8JZ PRODUCED: February 2015 FOR REVIEW: February 2016 Edition 4 Information for patients from the Highlands & Islands area travelling to and from Hospitals within NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde via Glasgow Airport This leaflet is designed to provide information for patients and their escorts about the journey and if the planned flight returning to your home is delayed or cancelled by the airline for ANY reason. It does not apply if the patient and escort miss the flight for any other reason. 12

2 McGill s: Website Service details: 757 From Stance 7, Glasgow Airport to Paisley Gilmour Street Train Station. Service 757 is a high-frequency bus service from Glasgow Airport to Paisley Gilmour Street Train Station. All buses are low-floor for easy accessibility. Please use this space to write down any additional information you may need or notes about your experience 2 11

3 Red Cross Information: Patients requiring a Red Cross escort for medical appointments should contact their own Surgery for verification. The Surgery will confirm eligibility with the Patient Transport Co-ordinator, who will make the necessary travel bookings. Patients on Islay must contact Red Cross, Lochgilphead for a local volunteer driver/escort for all appointments (Tel: ). Jura patients should continue to contact the Jura Surgery. Patients who do not qualify for free transport may still book a Red Cross volunteer driver/escort at a cost of 45p per mile commencing and ending at the driver s home. Red Cross assistance in Glasgow or mainland Argyll: Wheelchair provision, driver, escort can be accessed by contacting Red Cross, Lochgilphead at the above number. Bus Information: Please ask your Patient Transport Co-ordinator for public transport information from Glasgow Airport to appointing hospital. Information on travel can also be obtained from Traveline Scotland at by using the journey planner which is easy to use. If you enter Glasgow Airport (PA3 2SW), Buchanan Street Bus Station or name of Hospital it will advise on public transport details such as bus number, stance and length of time it will take you to reach destination. Traveline Scotland can also be contacted via their 24 hour phone line, which is charged at 10p per minute from BT landlines (mobile calls will cost more). Citylink First Bus Website Service details: 500 From Stance 1, Glasgow Airport to Buchanan Street, Bus Station every 10 minutes 747 From Stance 6, Glasgow Airport approx fifteen minutes after the hour and half hour (please check timetable) to Buchanan Street Bus Station, Glasgow via Renfrew, Braehead, Southern General Hospital, Partick, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Charing Cross. All buses are low-floor for easy accessibility. 10 Attending an outpatient appointment or being admitted to hospital Before you go Make sure you have packed all the essentials for an overnight stay just in case. Your travel documents and appointment information. A form of picture identification eg. passport, driving licence. All your usual medication with the original packaging and labels. Money, including change for the phone and taxi to and from the airport. Suitable outdoor clothing House keys Relatives contact details. Overnight bag with essentials such as night wear, toiletries and a change of clothes. Child s favourite toy/game. Magazines/books. If you feel that a wheelchair would be of benefit to you at the Airport please make sure this has been requested at the time of booking your air travel as the airport request works much better with pre-advice or contact: Omniserve at Glasgow Airport Tel : or gla.prm@airservcorp.com Or contact Flybe if flying with Loganair or Flybe on Telephone: (reservations) specialassistance@flybe.com 3

4 Discharge from an inpatient stay in hospital Ward staff will discuss your return travel arrangements with you Patients will be expected to pay for their taxi transport, however, if you have been transferred to Glasgow as an emergency and have no money, please speak to a member of health staff. Only patients who have been assessed as meeting the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) eligibility criteria will have their return journey arranged through this service. SAS transport will be allocated only on medical grounds eg. the patient is of restricted mobility, unwell, mentally incapable or has some other health problem that makes it unsuitable for them to travel by their own or public transport. The SAS will determine the mode of transport for the full journey. This will not normally include scheduled flights and may include land and ferry journeys. Travelling home following an inpatient stay or outpatient appointment If you know your flight has been cancelled you should still go to the airport so that you can make alternative travel arrangements. As you have been assessed as being fit to return home there should be no expectation that you would return to hospital due to flight cancellation, unless in exceptional circumstances. The following information also applies if you get to the airport and discover your flight is delayed or cancelled. My flight has been cancelled what happens? Under European Union (EU) regulation 261/2004 you are entitled to care and assistance from the airline. If the airline cannot provide you with another flight on the same day you are entitled to assistance at the airport including meals and refreshments. Useful Contacts Glasgow Airport Flight Information Air Transport Users Council (Monday to Thursday hrs) Argyll & Bute Citizens Advice Bureau EXPOTELTravel Agency (Out of Hours) This is the Travel Agency used by NHS Glasgow Telephone: Loganair Customer Relations Loganair Limited, St Andrew s Drive, Glasgow Airport, Paisley Glasgow, PA3 2TG Omniserve (Glasgow Airport Wheelchair service) Hospitals Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre Gartnavel General Hospital Glasgow Royal Infirmary Golden Jubilee Hospital Inverclyde Royal Hospital Royal Alexandra Hospital Royal Hospital for sick children Southern General Hospital Stobhill Hospital Vale of Leven Hospital Victoria Infirmary/New Victoria Hospital Western Infirmary Scottish Ambulance Service Area Service Office Glasgow Airport Taxis Please note that taxis can drop passengers inside Car Park 2 at the pick up/drop off point on the ground floor for an extra charge if requested. Red Cross Transport Information - please see page 10 Bus Information - please see page

5 FOLLOW SIGNS TO GATE 1, THERE ARE STAIRS AT THE TOP OF THE GATE AREA. The airline must also provide you with hotel accommodation, meals and transport where an overnight stay is necessary and you are unable to make alternative arrangements. Loganair s current arrangement is with an airport hotel where dinner, bed and breakfast are included in the booking. Alcohol and telephone calls from the hotel will not be paid for by the airline My flight has been delayed what happens? Under European Union (EU) regulation 261/2004 you are entitled to care and assistance from the airline. LOGANAIR OPERATED FLYBE FLIGHTS ALL DEPART FROM GATES 1-3, THE CLOSEST GATES AT GLASGOW AIRPORT For delays over 2 hours the airline must provide vouchers for meals and/or refreshments appropriate to the time of day and in relation to the amount of time you have been waiting. If the delay lasts overnight, hotel accommodation, meals and transfers will be provided. IF YOU FIND YOURSELF AT THE TOP OF THE GATE 1-3 AREA USE THE HELP PHONE TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE TO GET DOWN TO THE DEPARTURE LOUNGE The airline is responsible for reorganising your homeward travel. They should keep you informed and do their utmost to accommodate your reasonable needs. My flight has been delayed or cancelled can I go on a ferry instead? If travelling from Glasgow the airline will advise on this, they have to take into account road conditions en-route to the ferry and may decide it best not to. Given the distance to the nearest ferry terminal the airline may opt to accommodate you overnight instead. The airline should contact the ferry operator for you and book your passage, also transport to the ferry terminal. The airline will cover the cost, as your plane ticket will be cancelled. YOU WILL BE BOARDED ONTO THE AIRCRAFT EITHER BY USE OF A RAMP, A STAIR CLIMBER OR OCCASIONALLY BY THE AMBULIFT. 8 AMBULIFT, OFTEN AVAILABLE AT ALL AIRPORTS IN SCOTLAND FOR LOGANAIR S AIRCRAFT APART FROM GLASGOW AIRPORT AT PRESENT. IT CANNOT BE USED IN HIGH WINDS 5

6 What to do if you have been discharged from hospital and you need advice on your care while you are waiting to travel home. At the Airport Where to Go Discharged from any NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Hospital? Please discuss with ward staff prior to discharge or telephone the ward. Hospital telephone numbers are provided within this leaflet. Please note that airline staff will assist you as much as they can, but staff availability may be limited, particularly during peak times and bad weather. You are not well or have limited mobility; Let the ground staff at the airport know. They will take this into consideration when organising your transport and accommodation. Most hotels have wheelchair accessible rooms, please let the airline staff know you need one. You are going to run out of your usual medication: Contact NHS 24 on 111 which is the new free way to phone the NHS 24 helpline from landlines and mobiles. The helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will be asked to attend a designated Health Centre. What to do if you think the airline is not giving you the care and assistance you are entitled to. Politely remind the airline staff that you are a hospital patient and in need of particular care and consideration. If the airline does not offer refreshments, overnight accommodation etc. when your flight is delayed or cancelled. Remind them of your rights as listed on Page 3. The airline still fails to give you the care and assistance you need and are entitled to. Keep receipts for hotel accommodation, transport to and from this accommodation and dinner to the value of 15. Write a letter to the airline asking for a full refund of these expenses, other expenses are not covered (details for Loganair can be found in the Useful Contacts section). If you are still not satisfied with the airlines actions you can write to the Air Transport Users Council for further assistance with your complaint, (details can be found in the Useful Contacts section). 6 AT THE TERMINAL DROP OFF POINT, CALL HERE TO GET ASSISTANCE USUAL PASSENGER ROUTE. PASSENGERS REQUIRING WHEELCHAIRS ARE USUALLY TAKEN BY A DIFFERENT ROUTE DIRECT TO THE DEPARTURE LOUNGE (FOR THOSE ABLE TO WALK THE SHORT DISTANCE OUT TO THE PLANE) OR TO THE AIRCRAFT 7 AIRPORT WHITE TAXIS CAN GET CLOSER TO THE TERMINAL BUILDING AND SHOULD ASSIST YOU WITH GETTING TO THE ASSISTANCE POINT. A CALL TO THS WILL GET THEM TO PICK YOU UP YOU SHOULD BE TAKEN DIRECTLY TO THE PASSENGER REDUCED MOBILITY WAITING POINT WHICH IS MANNED BY A SUPERVISOR, WHO WILL CHECK YOU AND YOUR ESCORT IN. THE WAITING AREA IS CURRENTLY ADJACENT TO THE ESCALATOR. A TOILET IS AVAILABLE IN THIS AREA NEXT TO THE LIFTS.