Stevenage Travel Guide

Admissions to our inpatient services
Anyone who currently needs to be cared for in our inpatient services is admitted to Swift Ward (the Acute Assessment Unit) at Kingfisher Court in Radlett, regardless of where in Hertfordshire they live. If the proposed unit in Stevenage is built, people living in east or north Hertfordshire would be admitted directly into this unit, reducing travelling times and distances.
The location of the proposed new inpatient unit is just off the A1(M) on the outskirts of Stevenage, near to the Lister Hospital. The map below shows the proposed location.

Travelling to the site
By Road – The site for the proposed new mental health unit is located off Graveley Road (B197). The site can be accessed from the A1(M) junction 8 roundabout via Graveley Road - the site entrance is on the right-hand side. The A602 from Stevenage and Hitchin also connects to this roundabout.
By Bus – Currently, the nearest bus stop is at John Henry Newman School along the A602 Hitchin Road, about 15 minutes’ walk away. Services 55, 80, 301 and 635 stop here. We will request that a bus stop be provided nearer to the site which will reduce the walking time to five minutes, with four buses an hour.
By Bike – As part of the design, we plan to have a foot and cycle path from the unit’s main entrance to the A602 Hitchin Road (opposite Sainsbury’s) which will then link into cycle route NCN12 and the bus stop walking routes.
By Train – The nearest train station to the site is Stevenage, which is two and a half miles away via Lytton Way, North Road and Graveley Road. A taxi ride to the site takes five minutes. Details of the main train services to Stevenage are available at: www.thameslinkrailway.com

Travel assistance
You may have a bus pass or disabled persons railway pass which can provide free or discounted travel on public transport.
Community Transport Hertfordshire can help you find transport options near to where you live, including car schemes and minibuses.
Visit www.communitytransportherts.org or call 01462 689402 for details of the options available.
If you need assistance when using a train, Passenger Assistance can help with travel. To book a helper, visit www.passengerassistance.com
Non-emergency patient transport is run by the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust. For bookings and queries, call 0345 6051208 seven days a week from 8am to 6pm. Accessible transport can be booked for people whose medical or mobility needs mean they cannot travel by any other means. The service also covers eligible family members and friends. Service users should have their NHS number to hand when booking a journey
Service users on low incomes who are not eligible for non-emergency patient transport can claim reimbursement under the national Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme. The Scheme also covers carers and escorts if approved by a healthcare professional approves this. Please ask your care coordinator to assist you to make a claim

Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS)
If you are referred to hospital for specialist NHS treatment by a 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 check your eligibility online at the NHS Business Services Authority website: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk

What can I claim?
If you meet the criteria, you can claim travel expenses to and from hospital appointments, including public transport fares, car mileage and parking costs.
Exceptions can be agreed depending on your age, medical condition or any other relevant factors, such as the availability of public transport. Service users may be able to claim for travel by taxi if this supported by a letter from your consultant or GP.
To claim reimbursement, you will need to provide proof that you are in receipt of benefits, confirmation that you have attended your appointment and receipts for the costs incurred. Without receipts, we are unable to reimburse your travel costs.
Please note that we are only able to reimburse for travel costs for appointments provided by Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. Please ask your care coordinator to support you with your claim.

Parking
The new site will include 155 free car parking spaces, including reserved spaces for Blue Badge holders. Electric vehicle charging points will be available. There will also be motorcycle and cycle parking spaces. The use of car park will be restricted by a barrier with access via an intercom to the unit reception.

Blue badge holders
There will be spaces on site reserved for blue badge holders. These spaces will not need to be booked in advance but drivers must display the official blue badge in their vehicle when using a blue badge space.

Access from the car park
The route from the main car park to the entrance will be accessible to wheelchair users, although assistance maybe required because the site will include some slopes. The entrance is visible from the car park.

Inside access to wards and other areas
The new unit will be on two floors and will include lifts for everyone to use.

Visiting
Visiting will be available in communal areas including the dining room, lounge and family visiting rooms. Each ward will operate a system of protected mealtimes and set visiting hours.
In response to feedback from carers, we have increased the number of family visiting rooms at the new unit from one to four rooms. These will be available on and off the ward. The family room adjacent to reception will also have a child play area.
The café will have a public side in the main reception area and also an adjacent private area just for service users and relatives to provide a level of privacy for visiting.

Click here for a copy of the guide