The Gannawarra Non-Emergency Transport Service (GNETS) is a flexible, safe and regulated transport alternative for Shire residents who require long distance travel to medical appointments in larger regional centres.
The GNETS vehicle is driven by our team of dedicated volunteer drivers who willingly give their time and are an integral part of this service.
Our friendly volunteers pick you up from your home, drive you to your medical appointment and return you home again when you are finished. They are always ready for a chat and make the journey and experience of travelling with GNETS an enjoyable one.
The service travels to specialist medical clinics in:
- Echuca
- Bendigo
- Shepparton
- Swan Hill
GNETS does not travel to Melbourne, however those requiring travel to Melbourne may request to use the Regional Medical Companion Program (please see below for more information about this program).
To book the GNETS service, please contact the Gannawarra Shire Community Care Services Team on (03) 5450 9333 at least seven days before your transport date. Appointments should be made well in advance to assist with availability.
When you contact us regarding the use of this service, you will receive a basic assessment to identify your needs and abilities.
The assessment process is quick and easy and conducted over the phone, and may be undertaken by your carer or a representative. You will be eligible to use the GNETS service if you are assessed as being:
- Mobile
- Independent with personal care needs
- Medically stable, and
- With no capacity or support networks to enable access to public transport
When cancelling a service, please ensure you notify our Community Care Services Team as soon as possible.
If the cancellation occurs within 24 hours of the transport booking, a client contribution may still be charged, depending on the circumstances relating to the cancellation.
An individual client contribution is determined in accordance with a scale of fees calculated by the distance travelled to and from your appointment.
Included within our fees is a small contribution to cover volunteers and vehicle expenses. Clients travelling more than 100 kilometres are eligible to claim a reimbursement from the Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme for fees paid.
The Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme (VPTAS) subsidises the travel and accommodation costs incurred by rural Victorians and an approved companion, who have no option but to travel a long distance to receive approved medical specialists services.
Fees are reimbursed by VPTAS approximately 12 weeks after an application has been received.
Community Care Services can provide volunteers to assist people to travel by public transport from their homes to Melbourne to attend medical appointments.
Our volunteer companions travel with you, keep you company, and assist you to the train or bus platform at Flinders Street Station or Southern Cross Station.
Our volunteers can also assist you to access your preferred transport link (tram, bus, taxi) from the station to your appointment and back.
For further information on the GNETS, the Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme or Regional Medical Companion Program, please call our Community Care Services Team on (03) 5450 9333.