The Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS), which offers fuel subsidies to South Australians who need to travel more than 100km each way to access specialist health appointments, increased from 0.16c per kilometres to 0.32c per kilometre on January 1.

The change announced by the state government today means some regional patients will be hundreds of dollars better off this year when travelling to Adelaide for medical services.

For example, the fuel subsidy for a return trip from Port Lincoln to Adelaide has increased to around $417, compared to roughly $208 last year.

A return trip from Whyalla to Adelaide can now receive a subsidy of around $247, up from $123, while Port Augusta patients can get around $200, up from $100, and Renmark residents can receive around $166, up from $82.

The change is the first “significant increase” to the PATS since 2001, according to Health Minister Chris Picton.

“This is great news for the many thousands of people who access the scheme now or may need to travel for medical treatment in future,” he said.

More than 13,000 patients accessed PATS last years, according to the state government.

The scheme is open to patients accessing specialist services such as chemotherapy, radiology services, renal dialysis, inpatient rehabilitation services and also to people who are approved to drive patients to appointments.

A full list of eligibility criteria can be found here.

Opposition regional health services spokesperson Penny Pratt said the fuel subsidy increase was welcomed but “[we] question why it took Chris Picton so long”.

“The former Liberal Government committed to doubling this important fuel subsidy back in March and since then we’ve seen federal Labor cut the national fuel subsidy and South Australia plunged into a cost-of-living crisis,” she said.

“The Opposition has constantly been told heartbreaking tales of financial duress from country patients who have to travel long distances for critical health appointments, so it’s been frustrating to have our calls to expand this scheme… ignored by Labor until now.”