Patient transport service driver jobs

Patient transport service (PTS) drivers, usually called ambulance care assistants in NHS ambulance trusts, take people who cannot get to hospital any other way to and from appointments, treatment and discharge. It is non-emergency work, with no blue lights, but you are responsible for frail and unwell people for the whole journey. In the NHS the job is normally band 2 or 3, which in England pays £25,272 (band 2) or £25,760 to £27,476 (band 3) from 1 April 2026. You need a full manual driving licence, and some employers want extra licence categories.

Who uses patient transport

PTS is for people whose medical condition means they cannot reasonably travel by car, taxi or public transport. Typical passengers include people having kidney dialysis several times a week, cancer patients going for radiotherapy or chemotherapy, older people attending outpatient clinics, and patients being discharged home or moved between hospitals. Some travel in a wheelchair and some on a stretcher.

Many of the same passengers travel with you week after week, especially dialysis patients, so the job has more continuity than most driving work. You also see people who are confused, in pain or anxious about their treatment.

Who runs the service

In some areas the NHS ambulance trust runs patient transport. In others the contract is held by a private company or a charity, and the crews are employed by that organisation. Health Careers describes the job as being on Agenda for Change band 2 or 3 in the NHS, but an independent provider sets its own pay, holiday and pension terms. Look at who the employer is on the advert before you compare offers.

An NHS post brings Agenda for Change terms: 27 days’ annual leave plus 8 public holidays for full-time staff (rising with service), NHS sick pay and the NHS Pension Scheme. An independent provider has to meet the legal minimums, including 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday and at least the National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over, but may offer little beyond that.

Licence and other requirements

Most employers expect a full manual car licence and a reasonably clean driving record; adverts usually say how many penalty points they accept. Check the vehicle categories too: larger patient transport vehicles may need C1 (medium-sized vehicles) or D1 (minibuses) on your licence. Drivers who passed their car test many years ago often have these categories automatically, but more recent drivers usually do not and would need to take an extra test. Check your entitlement on the DVLA’s view driving licence service and compare it with the categories on the advert. GOV.UK’s driving licence categories page explains what each one covers.

Beyond the licence, employers look for:

• experience of caring for older, disabled or unwell people, paid or voluntary
• good basic literacy and numeracy, with some asking for GCSEs in English and maths
• reasonable fitness, because you help people in and out of vehicles and push wheelchairs
• local knowledge and the ability to use a vehicle navigation system

Expect a driving assessment, an interview and pre-employment checks, including an enhanced criminal record check and occupational health. If you have no healthcare background, NHS jobs without a degree shows similar entry-level roles.

Pay

Band	Typical role	England pay from 1 April 2026
2	Ambulance care assistant, PTS driver	£25,272
3	Experienced or senior ambulance care assistant (varies)	£25,760 to £27,476
4	PTS team leader or supervisor (varies)	£28,392 to £31,157

Band 2 has a single pay point. In Scotland, band 2 runs from £26,658 to £28,947 and band 3 from £29,061 to £31,364. NHS Staff Council talks on reforming the lowest bands began in April 2026, and no deal had been reached by mid-October; if one is agreed, it would be backdated to 1 April 2026. NHS band 2 pay follows the details.

At band 2 or 3 pay you pay 6.5% into the NHS Pension Scheme. Early starts, late finishes and weekend work attract unsocial hours payments under Agenda for Change. The take-home pay calculator works out your net pay.

Training and a typical shift

New staff go through a short classroom and practical course covering moving and handling, use of the vehicle’s equipment such as tail lifts, ramps and carry chairs, basic life support, infection control and safeguarding. Health Careers says the course includes practical assessments and written exams. After that you work alongside an experienced colleague before going out on your own or as part of a two-person crew.

A shift usually starts with vehicle and equipment checks. The control room then sends you a list of journeys, which changes through the day as appointments overrun or patients are not ready. You collect people from home, help them into the vehicle, secure wheelchairs and stretchers, and hand them over to the right department, then wait or move on to the next job. Late discharges can push finish times back, and you may spend some of the day waiting in hospital car parks.

PTS services typically run from early morning into the evening, with dialysis transport often on Saturdays as well. Some crews work alone for part of the day, so ask how the employer handles lone working.

Where the job can lead

Experienced ambulance care assistants can become team leaders or move into PTS control, planning journeys and taking bookings. Many use the role to move into the emergency side of the ambulance service, first as an emergency care assistant and later through paramedic training. NHS vacancies are listed under healthcare support jobs.