Sample policy · Patient transport

Transfer of care and patient handover policy (patient transport)

1. Purpose

This policy sets out how the Service completes safe transfer of care at the end of each patient transport job, records handover and responds to delayed, missing or incorrect handover.

For PTS work, transfer of care is a high-volume risk surface. Every journey ends with a receiving person, receiving facility or agreed home handover.

2. Sources to verify before adoption

3. Scope

This policy applies to:

The policy applies to NHS-contracted journeys, private journeys and subcontracted journeys where the Service remains responsible for the handover process.

4. Transfer-of-care process

Crew complete transfer of care at the receiving destination before closing the job.

4.1 Before arrival

Crew check the destination before arrival.

The check covers:

If Crew identify a destination mismatch before arrival, they contact the control point before continuing unless stopping would create greater risk.

4.2 Verbal handover

Crew give a verbal handover to the receiving clinician, receiving staff member or agreed responsible person.

The handover includes:

Crew keep the handover factual and concise. They do not add information they have not received or directly observed.

4.3 Documentation handover

Crew check that required documentation has moved with the patient.

Documentation may include:

Crew record what documentation was handed over, who received it and any missing paperwork.

4.4 Handover at home

For hospital-to-home transport, Crew confirm that the patient has reached the agreed safe handover point.

The handover check may include:

Crew do not leave a patient where the booking required a receiving person and that person is absent. They contact the control point and follow the escalation route.

5. Delayed handover

The Service treats delayed handover as a governance issue and a possible patient-safety issue.

Where handover is delayed for more than 30 minutes, Crew record:

The Operations Manager escalates repeated delayed handovers at the same receiving facility to the commissioner or relevant contact where the contract allows it. The Registered Manager reviews patterns as Regulation 17 governance evidence.

6. Missing paperwork and wrong destination transfer

6.1 Missing handover paperwork

If required paperwork is missing, Crew do not invent or reconstruct clinical information.

Crew:

The review checks whether the booking process, collection process or referring facility caused the gap.

6.2 Wrong destination transfer

If Crew identify a wrong destination before, during or after arrival, they escalate immediately.

Crew:

The Registered Manager reviews whether duty of candour, commissioner notification, safeguarding, complaint handling or CQC notification advice is needed.

7. Responsibilities

8. Recording requirements

The Service keeps the following records:

Records are kept in the Service governance records and are available for internal review, CQC review, commissioner review and external review where required.

9. Audit cadence

The Service uses the following Verivius default audit rhythm unless current CQC, JRCALC, NHS England, commissioner or local source material requires a different rhythm:

Audit findings are recorded as improvement actions with an owner and review date.

10. Version control and review date

The Service keeps a controlled copy of this policy. The footer or document-control table records:

11. Related records

Review cadence: annual or on regulatory change, whichever sooner. Owner: Registered Manager.

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Last reviewed 21 May 2026