Quick summary
FlexiLink is Cheshire East’s door-to-door service for people who are disabled, aged 80 or over, or living beyond the reach of public transport. It costs £3 a journey, or nothing with a bus pass. Book on 0300 123 5110. For hospital appointments, ask whether you qualify for NHS patient transport or a refund of your travel costs.
The older person’s bus pass
Free off-peak travel on local buses across England, available from State Pension age.
In Cheshire East you can apply in person at any Cheshire East library, and the pass usually arrives within about ten working days. If your pass is due to expire and you have used it in the last twelve months, it renews automatically. If you have not used it, it will not, so you need to reapply.
Passes are not valid on coach services where most seats can be reserved in advance. Details are on Cheshire East Council’s bus pass page.
The obvious limitation is that a bus pass is only useful where there are buses, which in Chelford, Goostrey, Wincle and the moorland villages is a real constraint rather than a quibble.
FlexiLink, which most people have never heard of
This is the one worth knowing about, particularly in the villages.
FlexiLink is Cheshire East’s demand-responsive transport service. It is open to residents who are disabled, aged 80 or over, or who live beyond the reach of any other public transport.
Detail | |
|---|---|
Cost | £3 per journey, or free with a concessionary bus pass |
Hours | Core hours 9.30am to 2.30pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays |
Booking | 0300 123 5110, booking line 10am to 1pm Monday to Friday, or flexilink@cheshireeast.gov.uk |
Notice needed | Between 48 hours and one month ahead |
First step | You must register before booking |
Two things to expect. You will travel with other passengers going to different places, so journeys take longer than a taxi would. And the more flexible you can be about timing, the more likely the booking is to be accepted (Cheshire East Council).
Register before you need it. Registering takes a phone call and removes the delay when an appointment comes up.
Getting to hospital appointments
Three separate things, and people frequently miss the second and third.
- NHS non-emergency patient transport. For people with a medical need that makes it difficult or impossible to travel to an appointment by other means. In Cheshire the service is provided by West Midlands Ambulance Service. Eligibility is assessed, and your GP or the clinician who referred you can discuss whether you qualify.
It is not a lift service for people who simply have no car. The test is clinical need.
- The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme. If you or your partner receive a qualifying benefit, or you meet the NHS Low Income Scheme criteria, you may be able to claim back the cost of travelling to NHS appointments you have been referred to. Ask at the hospital cash office and keep your receipts and appointment letter.
- Volunteer car schemes. Often run by charities and community groups, usually for medical appointments, typically with a mileage contribution rather than a fare.
Community and voluntary transport
- Community transport operators run door-to-door minibus and car services across the area. Ask Cheshire East Council for current schemes in your village, or search the Live Well directory.
- Royal Voluntary Service provides community transport for older people in some areas.
- Age UK Cheshire East can advise on local options and befriending.
- The Disability Information Bureau, Pierce Street, Macclesfield, SK11 6ER, is a useful local source of advice on transport and mobility, alongside Macclesfield Shopmobility on Churchill Way.
If you are over the border
Buxton, Whaley Bridge and Chapel-en-le-Frith come under Derbyshire County Council, and Leek, Biddulph and Kidsgrove under Staffordshire County Council. Both run their own concessionary travel and community transport arrangements, and neither uses FlexiLink.
Call Derbyshire is on 01629 533190 and Staffordshire Cares on 0300 111 8010. Our guide to which council does what covers the rest of the split.
The Blue Badge, which still applies
A Blue Badge belongs to the person, not the car, so someone who has stopped driving can still use theirs as a passenger. Apply through the county or unitary council, which for Cheshire East residents is Cheshire East Council.
Why this matters beyond transport
Giving up the car is one of the most common triggers for someone’s world shrinking. Fewer outings means less walking, which means weaker legs and less steadiness, which raises the risk of falls, and fewer people seen means loneliness.
Sorting transport out properly is therefore not an administrative task. It is one of the more effective things a family can do, and our guide to the signs someone is struggling at home covers what to watch for.
Frequently asked questions
What is FlexiLink?
Cheshire East’s door-to-door flexible transport for residents who are disabled, 80 or over, or beyond the reach of public transport. £3 a journey, free with a bus pass, booked on 0300 123 5110.
How do I get a bus pass?
Apply in person at any Cheshire East library once you reach State Pension age. It usually arrives within about ten working days.
Can I get free transport to hospital?
If you have a medical need that prevents you travelling another way, you may qualify for NHS patient transport. Ask your GP or the referring clinician. Separately, you may be able to claim travel costs back if you receive certain benefits.
Is there anything for evenings?
FlexiLink’s core hours are daytime on weekdays, so evenings usually mean a taxi, family or a volunteer scheme. This is a genuine gap in rural areas.
What if we live in a village with no bus?
That is exactly the situation FlexiLink is designed for. Register first, then book between 48 hours and a month ahead.
Can a carer take my mum to appointments?
Yes. Accompanying someone to appointments, shopping or out for a walk is ordinary care work rather than an extra.
About Visiting Angels Cheshire East
Visiting Angels Cheshire East provides care at home across Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Knutsford, Congleton, Alsager and the surrounding villages of East Cheshire, along with Buxton, Whaley Bridge and the Staffordshire Moorlands towns. The full area list is here.
- Getting out, not just getting by. Shopping, appointments, visiting friends, a walk.
- No visit is ever shorter than an hour, which is what makes an outing possible.
- You choose your caregiver, and meet them before care starts.
- You see the same faces. Our carer turnover is 12 per cent, against a sector figure of 23.7 per cent (Skills for Care, 2025).
- We cover the villages, where losing the car makes the biggest difference.
Iain wrote this about the help his mother receives:
“Visiting Angels have been a great help to my mother with cleaning, shopping, taking her for walks and by simply keeping her company.”
Iain Brook, Google review
Not sure what you need yet? Start with a free assessment
Our free home care assessment is a visit at a time that suits you, with no obligation afterwards. In it we will:
- Work out what has been lost with the car, which is usually the shopping, the appointments and seeing people.
- Talk through a realistic package, and what it would cost.
- Look at the money with you, and point you towards the funding, benefits and grants you may be entitled to.
- Point you at FlexiLink and the free schemes first, because for a lot of people they cover it.
If someone has stopped driving and the days have gone quiet, call us on 01625 720157. You can also send an enquiry, and you can see what our services cover.
Authored by Dr Haroon Ahmad, Managing Director, Visiting Angels Cheshire East.
Published 27 September 2026. Last updated 27 September 2026.
This article is general information about local transport options and is not advice about eligibility for any scheme. Services, fares, hours and eligibility change, and the schemes listed are run by other organisations, not by us; confirm details directly before relying on them. To the fullest extent permitted by law, GB Care at Home Ltd accepts no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this article.
