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Lady on a bus

Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme

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).

What are the qualifying benefits and allowances?

You can claim help with travel costs if you or your partner (including civil partner) receive any of the following benefits:

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Working Tax Credit (WTC) with Child Tax Credit (CTC)
  • WTC with a disability element or a severe disability element
  • CTC but you’re not eligible for WTC
  • Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
  • You receive Universal Credit and meet the criteria

You can also claim for help with travel costs if:

  • you’re named on, or entitled to, an NHS tax credit exemption certificate (if you do not have a certificate, you can show your award notice) – you qualify if you get child tax credits, working tax credits with a disability element (or both), and have income for tax credit purposes of £15,276 or less
  • you have a low income and are named on certificate HC2 (full help) or HC3 (limited help) – to apply for this certificate, you should complete the HC1 form: claim for help with health costs, which is available from your local hospital, Jobcentre Plus offices or the NHS print contract order line on 0300 123 0849.

How do I claim a refund?

To claim your travel costs, take your travel receipts, appointment letter or card, plus proof that you’re receiving one of the qualifying benefits, to a nominated cashiers’ office.

Nominated cashiers’ offices are located in the hospital or clinic that treated you. They’ll assess your claim and make the payment directly to you.

In some hospitals, the name of the office you need to go to may be different (for example, the General Office or the Patient Affairs Office). If you’re not sure, ask reception or Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS) staff where you should go.

Some hospitals and clinics do not have cashier facilities. In this case, you can complete an HC5(T) claim travel charges form and post it to the address stated on the form.

You can make a postal claim up to three months after your appointment took place.

Useful numbers

  • Call 0300 330 1348 for the dental services helpline
  • Call 0300 330 1343 for the Low Income Scheme helpline
  • Call 0300 330 1341 for queries about medical exemption certificates
  • Call 0300 330 1341 for queries about prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs)
  • Call 0300 330 1349 for the prescription services helpline
  • Call 0300 330 1347 for queries about tax credit certificates
  • Call 0300 123 0849 to order a paper copy of the HC12, HC5 and HC1 (SC) forms
  • Call 0300 330 1343 for all other queries

 

More information about travel costs at the NHS website

Growing Healthy 0-19

Online event – Growing Healthy Northumberland 0-19 Service

Online event – Growing Healthy Northumberland 0-19 Service

Join us on Friday 8 March, 1pm-2pm, to hear from Rachel and Sam from the Growing Healthy Northumberland 0-19 Service.

They will talk about what services are provided by the 0-19 Service for children, young people, and families in Northumberland, including the Health Visiting Service, 5-19 Service and their digital offer.

Suitable for mums, dads, grandparents, carers and professionals alike, Zoom in to find out more about these services for the children in your life.

This event has now passed.

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Share for better care 2024

Share for Better Care

Share for Better Care

Last year, Healthwatch received nearly 400,000 experiences of health and social care. When services are under pressure, feedback on care can be crucial to identify what is working and what issues need fixing. But not everyone’s voice is being heard.

‘Share for Better Care’ aims to help more people give feedback about their care, especially if their community experiences poor health outcomes.

Your experience matters to us

The simple act of sharing feedback is already helping to improve care for the people who use it. We want people to know that their feedback, no matter how small, has the power to transform health and social care across the country.

Together we can improve health and care, but we can only make a difference if we know about your experience.

Have your say

Please share your experience and help us make NHS decision-makers aware of what needs to change to improve access to care, for everyone. We’re completely independent and impartial, and anything you say is confidential.

Share your experiences

 

Health visiting services Northumberland

Experiences of health visiting services

What is your experience of health visiting services?

All families expecting a baby or with children aged 0-5 years are offered a universal health visiting service. In Northumberland this is delivered by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT)

We want to hear about your experiences of using the health visiting service. This will only take around 10-15 minutes of your time.

In this survey, we’ll ask you about your experiences including what has worked well and what has not worked so well. We will use your feedback to report to the NHS anonymously on what is working and help identify how to improve care for parents and carers. Everything you tell us will be stored securely and we won’t identify you in our report.

Tell us about your experiences of health visiting services

Closes Sunday 18 February 2024.

For more information about maternity and parenting services and support in Northumberland visit our Maternity and Parenting webpage or get in touch.

Online event - British Liver Trust

Online event – British Liver Trust

Online event – British Liver Trust

Join us for our next free lunchtime event where we will hear from Louise Parker from the British Liver Trust.

Louise will talk to us about the UK liver disease crisis and why we need to raise awareness. She will also talk about the three preventable risk factors, tips on how to ‘Love your Liver’ and information about the free support available for anyone affected by a liver condition.

This event has now passed

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Care homes forum Northumberland

Care homes forum

Care homes forum Northumberland

Tuesday 20 February, 10am – 11am via Zoom

If you have a relative living in a care home or have used respite care, join our forum to meet others with similar experiences. Whether you would like to share your own experiences or just listen to others for information and support, this small informal group is open to relatives and professionals.

To register for a space or give feedback outside the forum please email: info@healthwatchnorthumberland.co.uk or call us on 03332 408468.

See what we discussed at previous care home forums

Online event - Coping with Cancer

Online event – Time to talk about cancer

Friday 16 February 2024, 1pm – 2pm

Join us to hear from Maggie Bailey from Coping with Cancer North East who will talk about some of the myths around cancer.

She will also provide information on the care and support available in Northumberland through Coping with Cancer and other services.

There will be a chance to ask questions after the presentation.

This session is suitable for anyone who would like to know more about cancer and the support available, both professionals and members of the public.

This event has now passed.

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Coins and receipt

Cost of living support

Cost of living support in Northumberland

The cost of living can put a real strain on people’s finances and also their health and wellbeing. We have put together details of organisations which can offer support with energy costs, prescription and healthcare appointment costs, food, and mental health.

View the cost of living support in Northumberland booklet

Download the cost of living booklet or

Visit our cost of living support webpage

If you can’t find the information you need or would like a copy posted to you, please get in touch.

If you would like some leaflets for a community setting or group near you, please let us know and we will post them out to you.

Elderly lady in care home

Care home forums: what you said

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic we hosted regular online forums for relatives and friends of those living in care homes to tell us about the impact of visiting restrictions and ways they have been keeping in touch.

Those who attended these forums said that it helped to give them a voice and it was helpful to meet with other people in a similar situation. It was agreed that the group would continue to meet once every three months to discuss any issues or concerns. The minutes from the previous meetings and other useful information about care home visiting can be found below.

When the group last met on Wednesday 8 November, we heard from Linda Whittemore and Andrea Goodall from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) about changes to the way care homes are inspected and rated.

Minutes from 8 November 2023

Care Home Online Forum – 8 November 2023

Minutes from 27 July 2023

Care Home Online Forum – 27 July 2023

Minutes from 17 April 2023

Care Home Online Forum – 17 April 2023

Minutes from 9 January 2023

Care Home Online Forum – 9 January 2023

Minutes from 30 September 2022

Care Home Online Forum – 30 September 2022

Minutes from 9 May 2022

Care Home Online Forum – 9 May 2022

Minutes from 7 February 2022

Care Home Online Forum – 7 February 2022

Minutes from 8 November 2021

Care Home Online Forum – 8 November 2021

Care home visiting information

Read Essential Care Giver Myth-buster

Things I wish I’d known before my loved one went to live in a care home

 

The date of the next online care homes forum is Tuesday 20 February, 10am – 11am. To register or leave feedback outside of the forum, please email Helen Brown: helenb@healthwatchnorthumberland.co.uk or call 03332 408 468.

Online event – Stroke Association

Join us on Friday 17 November, 1pm-2pm to hear a presentation from Janet Nesbitt, a volunteer from Stroke Association. (Please note this event has been rescheduled from Friday 10 November).

In this free, online public event Janet will provide an overview of stroke, including risk factors, stroke effects and what to do if you think someone is having a stroke.

We will also hear about local and national Stroke Association services, including support for stroke survivors and their carers, how to access advice and information and opportunities for volunteering. There will be a chance to ask questions.

Register now and we will send you a link to join closer to the event: bit.ly/Stroke-Association-Nov-23

This event has now passed.

Events

Vision Northumberland logo

Vision Northumberland Information and Equipment Day

Find us at Vision Northumberland‘s Information and Equipment Day on Friday 22 March, 10am – 2pm, at Reiver House, Morpeth.

There will be a range of organisations there on the day to offer information and advice including Age UK Northumberland, Carers Northumberland, Macular Society and Thriving Together.

You can also try the latest low vision aids and solutions for sensory impaired people.

Refreshments will be available.

Call Vision Northumberland on 01670 514 316 for more information.

Online event - Health Trainers

Online event – Northumberland’s Health Trainers

At this free online event you can hear from local Health Trainers Jack and Kirsty. They will give an outline of what support is on offer to help to improve and maintain health and wellbeing, plus details of 1:1 clinics, healthy lifestyle programmes, Weigh & Go programmes, health checks, Health Walks and more.

They will also share some top tips for keeping well and there will be an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the session.

Register now and we will send you a link to join nearer the event.

Sign up to our newsletter to hear about future events.