Patient Transport & Hospital Discharge Ambulance Services in Cornwall & Devon -

Coast Medic provides patient transport, urgent inter-hospital ambulance transfers and hospital discharge ambulances across the South West including Cornwall and Devon.

We support hospitals, care homes and healthcare providers with safe, timely and clinically appropriate transfers. Our service is available on an ad hoc basis, offering flexible capacity when routine transport is unavailable or during periods where demand exceeds existing resources.

Safe Hospital Admissions and Discharges

Delays in patient movement can place pressure on hospital flow, bed availability and care continuity. Coast Medic works as a trusted partner to support:

Hospital discharges to home, care homes, or step-down facilities
Admissions from care homes or community settings
Same-day and planned patient transfers
Overflow and surge capacity during periods of high demand

Our focus is on ensuring patients are transferred safely, comfortably and without unnecessary delay.

Ad Hoc Support When Demand Increases

Healthcare systems regularly experience peaks in demand due to seasonal pressures, staffing challenges, or unplanned surges.

Coast Medic provides responsive, ad hoc ambulance support to help maintain patient flow and operational resilience, including:

Short-notice patient transport requests
Discharge backlog reduction
Temporary capacity gaps
Support during escalation periods
Additional vehicles and crews when required

This flexibility allows providers to respond quickly without long-term contractual commitment.

Who We Support

We work collaboratively with discharge teams, ward staff, and care providers to ensure smooth handover and continuity of care.

Our Patient Transport and Hospital Discharge services are used by:

NHS Hospitals & trusts

Community hospitals and wards

Private hospitals and clinics

GP Surgeries & Urgent Care

Residential & Nursing homes

Sheltered Accommodation

Patients families

Clinical Oversight and Patient Safety

All transfers are undertaken with appropriate clinical oversight, ensuring patient safety throughout the journey.

Depending on patient needs, we provide:

Suitable ambulance vehicles
Clinicians matched to patient acuity
Monitoring and reassurance during transfer
Safe manual handling and mobility support
Clear communication with sending and receiving teams

Every transfer is risk-assessed to ensure the right level of care is provided for each patient.

Service Benefits

Ad-hock service provides supports periods of increased demand

Flexible with no long term commitment

CQC registered provider

Professional qualified staff ensure high standards of care

Treatment fully documented on NHS integrated patient reporting system to ensure continuity of care

Reduced discharge delays and improved patient flow

Service Coverage

Patient Transport and Hospital Discharge Ambulance services are available across the South West, subject to availability and clinical suitability. For providers operating across multiple sites, we can discuss regional or short-term support arrangements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Uses This Service?

NHS and Healthcare Providers
Our services are available to NHS trusts, Integrated Care Systems (ICS), community services, and private hospitals requiring planned patient transport, discharge support, or inter-facility ambulance transfers.

Care Homes and Residential Settings
We support nursing homes, residential care homes, and supported living providers with safe ambulance transport for admissions, discharges, outpatient appointments, and planned hospital visits.

Local Authorities and Public Sector Organisations
Local authorities and public bodies can access our patient transport services to support vulnerable individuals, social care pathways, and continuity of care.

Private Individuals and Families
Private patients and families may use our service when a loved one requires medically supervised transport and is unable to travel safely by private vehicle, taxi, or public transport.

Insurers and Case Managers
We work with insurers, solicitors, and case managers to provide planned ambulance transport as part of ongoing care, recovery, or rehabilitation pathways.
All requests are clinically risk-assessed to ensure the service is appropriate and that the correct vehicle, equipment, and crew skill-mix are provided.

What Level of Care Is Available?

The level of care provided depends on the clinical needs of the patient and the requirements of the transfer. All bookings are clinically risk-assessed in advance to ensure the appropriate crew skill-mix, equipment, and vehicle are allocated.

For low-acuity or routine transfers, we can provide standard patient transport crews trained in safe moving and handling, patient monitoring, and compassionate care during planned journeys.

Where patients have higher acuity needs or additional medical requirements, transfers can be supported by Paramedic-led or Nurse-led crews, enabling advanced clinical assessment, monitoring, and intervention during transport where appropriate.

This flexible approach ensures each patient receives the right level of clinical care, without over- or under-provision, while maintaining safety, dignity, and continuity of care throughout the journey.

Service Availability

Our ambulance and patient transport services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, subject to advance booking. This allows us to plan the appropriate vehicle, crew skill-mix, and clinical support for each transfer.

Where required, we can often accommodate unscheduled or short-notice transfers, with typical response times of within 2–3 hours, depending on clinical priority, location, and operational availability.

We work closely with healthcare providers, care homes, and coordinators to remain flexible and responsive, particularly during periods of increased demand or discharge pressure.

Are You an Approved Provider?

Yes. Coast Medic Ambulance Ltd is a Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered ambulance provider and operates in full compliance with all applicable regulatory, clinical, and governance requirements for ambulance and patient transport services.

In addition, we are an approved ambulance provider for Cornwall Council, delivering regulated transport services in line with public sector standards and contractual expectations.
Our approval status, combined with robust clinical governance, trained and vetted staff, and regulated vehicles, provides assurance to commissioners, healthcare providers, and private clients that our services meet recognised statutory and quality benchmarks.

Is This an NHS Funded Service?

Coast Medic Ambulance Ltd operates as a private ambulance provider. Our services may be commissioned by NHS organisations or other public bodies, in which case the costs are typically covered by the organisation commissioning the service.

We are also able to provide patient transport services directly to individuals and families. In these circumstances, patients may not be eligible for NHS funding, and charges would usually be met privately.

Where NHS eligibility is uncertain, we recommend patients or families confirm funding arrangements with the referring organisation or NHS service before booking.

ONLINE BOOKING SERVICE

Book Ambulance Transport

If you require patient transport, hospital discharge support, or additional ambulance capacity, Coast Medic Ambulance is ready to assist.
Book Online or Call us on 01326 755120.

Book Online

Important Notice

If you are a member of the public and the patient’s condition becomes life-threatening:
Always Call 999.