National Travel Assistance brochure

You may qualify for assistance if you:

• Have a Community Services Card and travel more than 80 kilometres to a specialist appointment
• Are under 18 years old, have a Community Services Card and travel more than 25 kilometres to a specialist appointment
• Attend six or more specialist visits in six months and travel more than 50 kilometres
• Are required to travel over 350 kilometres for adults or more than 80 kilometres for children, to a specialist appointment
• You live on the West Coast but have to travel to another part of the country for treatment

Please note: Not everyone qualifies for full assistance. Your first visit to hospital may not qualify but if you have return visits you will be eligible if you meet the above criteria. Please discuss your circumstances with the National Travel Assistance Coordinator to see what help is available.

Register and get a copy of the claim form by contacting a National Travel Assistance Coordinator:

Greymouth: 03 769 7400 extension 2592

Buller: 03 788 9262

Please register well before your appointment – it can take some time to complete registration.

If you are in hospital and need treatment at another hospital as part of your care, West Coast DHB will arrange free transport. You may have to organise your own transport back to the West Coast.

Please discuss this with the Nurse in Charge or Social Worker before you leave hospital. You may also be eligible for travel and accommodation depending on the distance from home to the hospital. 

If you ask to transfer to another hospital, you will have to pay the transport costs.

St John Health Shuttle Service

St John volunteers run two rural shuttles on weekdays, from Buller to Greymouth and Hokitika to Greymouth return.

West Coast Health Shuttle Service

For more information or to make a booking please call 0800 009 865 between 9am and 3pm.

This service is free. Please consider donating to St John to help cover costs.

Public parking is available near the entrances from High Street and Water Walk Road.

Please do not park at the hospital if you are likely to stay longer than four hours. Contact Greymouth Taxis on 03 768 7078.

Greymouth Taxis also runs a shuttle service to and from Hokitika Airport.

Do not park in the mobility car parks unless you have a mobility parking permit.