The Occupational Therapy Service Appoints Caroline Burch to Lead New Concessionary Travel Assessment Service

The Occupational Therapy Service (TOTS), a leading independent practice, is delighted to announce the appointment of Caroline Burch as Team Leader for its newly established Concessionary Travel Assessment Service. 

TOTS is a multi-disciplined team of nationwide OT associates that deliver a range of services to the public and private sectors. Its latest service addition further strengthens TOTS’ commitment to supporting Local Authorities with high-quality, clinically informed assessments that ensure fair and effective allocation of travel-related concessions.

In her new role, Caroline will be managing a team who will oversee the delivery of a comprehensive assessment service covering eligibility for Blue Badges, English National Concessionary Travel Scheme, disabled parking bays and Taxicard. The service is designed to assist councils in making appropriate, evidence-based decisions, particularly in complex or borderline cases requiring clinical expertise. 

Caroline brings over a decade of specialist experience in concessionary travel management and assessments, alongside a strong clinical background as a qualified Occupational Therapist. Her career includes roles within the community and NHS and as a Discharge Coordinator at Salford Royal Hospital NHS Trust, where she developed extensive experience recommending support, care and equipment for vulnerable patients as they re-entered the community. This combination of clinical insight and operational leadership positions her ideally to lead the new TOTS service. Commenting upon her new role, Caroline said:

“This service  ensures that concessionary travel relief reaches those who genuinely need it. By applying our clinical expertise to the assessment process, we can support fair, transparent decision-making and ultimately improve access to essential transport and accessible parking, for individuals with a wide range of medical conditions. I believe there is no other service like this in the UK that offers the quality and depth of assessment that we do, as responsively as we do, to ensure local authorities assign concessions fairly, consistently and in a timely manner.” 

Under Caroline’s leadership, TOTS will deliver a flexible and responsive model, including desk-based reviews, face-to-face assessments, home visits and appeals handling. The service is designed to support local authorities in meeting Department for Transport criteria while ensuring decisions are clinically robust and defensible. Detailed reporting and clear rationale form a core part of the offering, helping councils manage complex cases, hidden disability, challenges such as appeals or Ombudsman reviews with confidence. 

The Concessionary Travel Assessment Service also enhances efficiency for local authorities, with a streamlined process capable of delivering outcomes within tight timeframes. By combining clinical expertise with operational scalability, TOTS can manage high volumes of assessments while maintaining quality and consistency.

TOTS’ new service reflects growing demand from local authorities for specialist healthcare input in concessionary travel assessments. With nationwide coverage across England and Wales, the organisation is well positioned to support both ongoing contracts and backlog clearance projects.

This appointment marks a significant step in TOTS’ growth strategy, reinforcing its reputation for delivering high-quality occupational therapy services that combine clinical excellence with practical, outcome-focused solutions.