FOI-03033

Thank you for your request for information about the following: 
 
##Request 
 
<i>I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. 
  
<span style="display: block; padding-left: 1em;">1.	Please provide the total annual expenditure on the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs <span style="display: block; padding-left: 1em;"> Scheme (HTCS) for England. Where it is available, please also provide this for each NHS organisation under your remit (e.g. NHS Trusts, Integrated Care Boards, or Health Boards). Please break this down by financial year for the past five years (or as many years as data is available). </span></span>
  
Specifically, I would also like: 
 
<span style="display: block; padding-left: 1em;">2.	The total amount reimbursed under the HTCS in England per year. </span>
 
<span style="display: block; padding-left: 1em;">3.	If available: </span>
 
<span style="display: block; padding-left: 2em;">a.	The number of claims processed in England per year. </span>
 
<span style="display: block; padding-left: 2em;">b.	The number of claims processed for young people and families of under 25s <span style="display: block; padding-left: 1em;"> with cancer in England </span></span>
 
<span style="display: block; padding-left: 2em;">c.	The above if it is available per NHS organisation </span>
 
<span style="display: block; padding-left: 2em;">d.	Any guidance or criteria used to allocate or monitor HTCS funding at the local <span style="display: block; padding-left: 1em;"> level. </span></span>
  
If this information is already published, I would appreciate a link to the relevant documents or datasets.</i>
 
We requested clarification on 19 August 2025: 
 
<i>Therefore I would be grateful if you could clarify what you mean by ‘expenditure’ and what this includes specifically. 
 
I would also like to inform you that we do not hold the total cost of running HTCS as the costs of running this service is not captured separately but under the overall cost of running the Low Income Scheme. For a bit more context, travel refunds are just one element of refunds. There’s travel, optical, wigs/fabrics and dental refunds and they are all processed by the same team.  
 
Lastly, please note that the NHSBSA does not administer the refund, but rather claims are processed, then the refund is issued by the paying authority i.e. the body responsible for the place that the patient travelled to, assuming the refund was approved.</i> 
 
You responded on 19 August 2025: 
 
<i>By expenditure, we meant how much money is paid/reimbursed to claimants via the HTCS for the travel costs they incur.</i>
 
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 23 July 2025.  
 
We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).   
 
##Our response 
 
<b>Question 1 - Please provide the total annual expenditure on the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) for England. Where it is available, please also provide this for each NHS organisation under your remit (e.g. NHS Trusts, Integrated Care Boards, or Health Boards). Please break this down by financial year for the past five years (or as many years as data is available).</b>
 
I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by the NHSBSA. 
 
The NHSBSA confirms entitlement to the scheme only and has no input into how much money is reimbursed. This is done by the relevant paying authority, and each one may have different rules for types of payment and values. 
 
Please see the below link to a directory of ICBs, which includes how to contact them directly. 
 
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-integrated-care-board-directory/ 
 
<b>Question 2 - The total amount reimbursed under the HTCS in England per year.</b> 
 
I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by the NHSBSA.  
 
The role of the NHS Business Services Authority in the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) is solely to confirm if a patient has a valid exemption and is eligible to submit a claim for a refund of their travel costs.  
 
Refunds are provided by the Trust where the treatment took place. Totals paid out by each provider may be held by each ICB. Please see the below link to a directory of ICBs, which includes how to contact them directly. 
 
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-integrated-care-board-directory/  
 
<b>Question 3a - The number of claims processed in England per year.</b>

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested. This information is attached. 
 
<b>Question 3b - The number of claims processed for young people and families of under 25s with cancer in England 
 
Question 3c - The above (3b) if it is available per NHS organisation</b>
 
I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by the NHSBSA. We do not hold data on applicants’ medical conditions. 
 
<b>Question 3d - Any guidance or criteria used to allocate or monitor HTCS funding at the local level.</b>
 
I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by the NHSBSA.  
 
The role of the NHS Business Services Authority in the HTCS is solely to confirm if a patient has a valid exemption and is eligible to submit a claim for a refund of their travel costs. We are not able to confirm the details of specific claims, such as medical conditions or any financial figures. They are determined by the ICB/Trust. Any decisions around funding and allocation of funding also sits with the ICB/Trust. Please refer to the above link for a directory of ICBs/Trusts. 
 
##Data Queries 
 
Please contact <a href="mailto: foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk">foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk </a> ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data. 

##Reusing the data and copyright 
 
If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact <a href="mailto: communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk">communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk</a>. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented. 
 
The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at: 
 
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/  
 
Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2025”. Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence. 
 
Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information. 

Tags: HTCS
Organization: Freedom of Information Disclosure Log