Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on expanding the scope of the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme to include (a) primary care services and (b) visits of close relatives.

The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme is part of the NHS Low Income Scheme, and was set up to provide financial assistance to those patients and in certain circumstances their carers, who do not have a medical need for ambulance transport, but who require assistance with their travel costs in attending National Health Service secondary care appointments.

There are currently no plans to expand the scope of the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme to cover primary care services and visits of close relatives.