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In his message dated Wednesday 3, July 1996 Paul Miller wrote : <snip> > We know of a couple of other practices (indirectly) who do > use patient transport services, taxis or whatever to do just this. > There was an article at the back of the BMJ (the best bit, after > Minerva) on a GP who basically managed to get the vast majority of > his requests for visits to attend the surgery by sending them a taxi > and explaining how much better use of his time could be made if he > didn't have to travel miles in traffic and rain to drop off the > paracetamol and sick line. > > Seems to me eminently sensible. Does anyone know of any actual work > (studies, like) done on this kind of project, know of any other > practices doing it, and know how they fund it ? Way back in 1989, when I was a practice manager, our (rural) practice set up a car scheme. We had a very small grant from the local authority, matched by a similar amount from the parish council. We got together a group of volunteer drivers, who were paid, per trip, enough to cover their petrol costs but not enough to upset the taxman. The patients who needed transport asked the receptionist to arrange it when making their appointment, and paid a very small contribution to the driver directly. We had set 'fares' from each location in the practice area. This service is still working very well, and has now extended to trips to the local town to see chiropodist, physio, optician, etc., and I think possibly also hospital also. The current practice manager is the scheme administrator, and I am sure she would be happy to answer queries about the scheme: Dianne Prosser, tel 01529 460213. Hope this helps Sheila -- :-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-) Sheila Teasdale Fax 01529 460589 / 01522 569874 Editor - Informatics http://www.ncl.ac.uk/~nphcare/PHCSG/Journal/index.htm The Journal of Informatics in Primary Care PHCSG The British Computer Society :-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-) %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%