Being moved to another hospital: what to ask before you agree
Before agreeing to an inter-hospital transfer, confirm five things: that a bed is actually reserved at the receiving hospital, which vehicle class and escort are coming, whether oxygen and equipment cover the full journey, that the receiving team will be pre-alerted with the patient's vitals, and what the total fare is before the ambulance moves.
Is a bed actually confirmed at the other end?
A referral is not a reservation. Ask whether the receiving hospital has accepted the patient and reserved a specific bed at the right level of care — an ICU bed, not simply a bed. Arriving without one means waiting in an emergency department with a patient who was stable an hour ago.
Which vehicle and which escort?
Ask for the vehicle class in plain terms and who travels in the back. A ventilated patient needs an ICU vehicle and a critical-care crew; a stable patient does not. Both mistakes cost — one clinically, one financially.
Is the equipment sized for the whole journey?
Oxygen is the one that catches people out. Ask how many hours of oxygen are on board against the expected journey time, and what the margin is if traffic doubles it. The same question applies to battery life for pumps and monitors on a long transfer.
Will the receiving team know what is coming?
Ask whether the receiving hospital will be pre-alerted with the patient's condition and vitals en route, and whether the handover happens at the bed or at the door. A documented bed-side handover is what stops a family standing in a corridor explaining their own case notes.
What paperwork travels with the patient?
- —Discharge summary or transfer note from the treating doctor
- —Recent imaging, reports and the current medication chart
- —Referral letter naming the accepting consultant, where there is one
- —Insurance details, if a cashless claim is being carried across
What is the total, before we move?
Ask for the full amount rather than a starting price, and ask specifically whether oxygen, equipment and the escort are included. A fare that changes at the destination is the most common complaint in this category, and the easiest one to prevent by asking one question on the phone.
In an emergency, call first and read later.
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This guide is general information for the minutes before professional help arrives. It does not replace medical advice, and it does not override what a doctor or an emergency dispatcher tells you to do in a specific situation.