What is PTS?

PTS is the transport to or from a health facility, and includes discharges from hospital to home; transport between hospitals or diagnostic facilities; and transport to or from nursing homes. PTS must be requested by a medical practitioner. The patient must be assessed as ‘between the flags’ – unlikely to deteriorate throughout transport.

Unfortunately, we cannot cover the following

• PTS services provided in South Australia or Queensland if they are a NSW resident
• repatriation to home state for non-clinical reasons
• NSW pensioners being transported to another state for non-clinical reasons.

Who is charged for using PTS?

In line with current practice, there is no charge to patients transferring between two public hospitals. All transfers to private facilities or between private facilities are charged to the person travelling.

People transferred between their home and health facilities and who are not eligible for concessions will be charged.

To be eligible for a concession you must be a concession card holder at the time of receiving the transport and this information provided at the time of booking. See below for further information for concession card holders.

What has changed about PTS?

Patient Transport Service now manages the delivery of patient transport across Greater Metropolitan Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and the New England area of NSW. HealthShare NSW also partners with a number of private patient transport providers to assist in peak demands for timely service. PTS fleet is being expanded​ upon to enable greater coverage.

The fee for chargeable PTS services will continue to be in accordance with the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s (IPART) determination. The following charges apply to NSW residents requiring chargeable PTS services:

• ​booking fee - $338.00
• rate per kilometre - $2.09 per kilometre.

The above fees and charges are current as of July 2023 and subject to change.

How are PTS charges for transport between home and hospital calculated?

The total number of kilometres for the provision of services by PTS will be calculated by determining the total number of kilometres and part thereof that are travelled by road in accordance with the distance:

• from pick up location
• to the place where that person disembarks from the PTS vehicle (or, where more than one PTS vehicle was used in the transport, disembarked from the last vehicle used in that transport).

What do I do if I receive an account?

Payment of the account within terms is required. Non-payment may result in legal action.

Should you have difficulty with payment, please contact the PTS Billing Team on hsnsw-ptsbilling@health.nsw.gov.au or 1300 477 679, option 5.

What do I do if I receive an account and am a concession card holder?

If you are a concession card holder and you receive an account requesting payment, it means your concession card details were not recorded when the PTS service was booked. The following information explains what to do depending on your concession card:

• Pensioner concession card holder: If you are an eligible pensioner you must provide your pension number in writing by returning the “tear off” section on the back of the account to PTS Billing, Service Centre Westmead, Locked Bag 2030, St Leonards, NSW, 1590 or hsnsw-ptsbilling@health.nsw.gov.au​. Or, you may call the PTS Billing Team on 1300 477 679, option 5.
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Concession Card Holder: DVA reviews all proposed charges before an invoice is raised against them. It is possible they may decline particular charges depending on the nature of the transport and the level of cover provided to the individual. If you wish to confirm whether your DVA number has been recorded, or if DVA has declined the charge, contact the PTS Billing Team on 1300 477 679, option 5.
• Private insurance holder: If you are a NSW resident and have private health fund-hospital cover insurance, please complete Section 2 of your invoice and send it to your health fund. You are not required to pay this account.

How can payments be made?

Payments can be made by phone or BPay.

• Phone: Contact the PTS Billing Team on 1300 477 679, option 5.
• BPay: The Biller Code and your personal account number are provided on the invoice.

How can I ensure my private health fund covers PTS costs?

If you have a private health insurance, you need to contact your private health fund to confirm whether PTS costs are covered. As costs and inclusions differ from fund to fund, it is recommended that you contact several funds to decide which cover is best for your personal circumstances. Useful information on private health funds is available on the Department of Health website.

What do I do if I have questions about my account?

Please contact the PTS Billing Team on  hsnsw-ptsbilling@health.nsw.gov.au​ or call 1300 477 679 option 5.
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