If you are planning to travel anywhere in the North East or Cumbria, the home ventilation team cover this area and can easily arrange a ventilator swap if there is a problem.
If you are travelling outside of the region, we request that you contact us prior to travelling. We may suggest that you take a spare ventilator for the duration of your trip, as it not possible to replace your device if you had a ventilator breakdown.
If you are planning to travel outside the UK, please contact us to inform us with plenty of notice so that we can give appropriate recommendations.
Sailing, cruise or train
We would recommend you have a spare ventilator as well as spare tubing and mask as another cannot be provided once you have left the UK.
Flying
It is very important that you check the requirements of the airline you are using several weeks before the flight, to allow sufficient time for completion of the appropriate medical forms.
If you are planning airline travel, please contact the team before you book and at least 2 months before you are due to fly.
Flying carries an increased risk therefore careful and timely planning is necessary. We recommend that you attend for a flight assessment, which will establish whether you will need to use oxygen or your ventilator during flight.
If oxygen or ventilation is recommended for use on board the flight, it is likely the airline will ask for completion of a form to be passed for medical clearance within the airline.
We can assist with this if required, although making sure the airline is happy for you to fly is you or your carers responsibility, not the North East Assisted Ventilation Service.
We would recommend you take a spare ventilator with you to cover the event of mechanical failure whilst abroad. We can provide a letter to allow you to carry 2 ventilators on board the flight as hand luggage to minimise the risk of damage or loss of the equipment. We require a minimum of 3 weeks’ notice from you so this can be arranged.
