South Gloucestershire ambulance service now inundated

Community transport schemes in South Gloucestershire are being inundated with requests from patients who need to get to hospital appointments after a clampdown by an NHS ambulance service.

Some people who had previously used the non-emergency patient transport service are being told they no longer qualify and are turning to volunteer groups instead.

But their appeal for help is proving too much of a burden for the community transport teams, who rely on volunteers to drive their vehicles and are having to turn some people away because they are already so busy.

Shirley Holloway, chairwoman of Four Towns and Vale Link Community Transport, said: "There has been a tremendous flood of people wanting to go to hospitals and health centres.

"People have phoned up very concerned and troubled because they can't be taken by the patient transport service anymore."

Bev Leworthy, manager of Yate, Sodbury and District Community Transport, said: "We've had an awful lot of distressed patients contacting us.

"Where possible we will do what we can but it's a massive drain on our resources."

She said she was also worried that some patients were going to hospital for chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment and questioned whether it was right for them to have to depend on a volunteer driver using their own car to get them to hospital.

Because of demands on the community service, there was also no guarantee that the patient could be taken home after their appointment.

Northavon MP Steve Webb has condemned the sudden changes.

He said until recently, the Great Western Ambulance Service was providing non-emergency patient transport for a wide range of local residents. But after the clampdown, hundreds of patients who had previously used the service were told they were "'not ill enough" to qualify.

Mr Webb said: "For many people across South Gloucestershire, it can be very difficult to get to hospital and clinic appointments if they do not have their own car.

"Public transport is extremely limited and often does not go at the right times to meet appointments. Voluntary groups such as community transport do a great job but have suddenly found themselves swamped with requests for help.

"It may be that the old rules were not being applied tightly enough but this sudden change has been very badly handled by the local NHS."

Mr Webb said next year the NHS would be putting the patient transport service out to tender and the current review had been carried out in preparation for that change.

Penny Harris, chief executive of NHS South Gloucestershire, said transport was provided for patients who were either too ill to get to hospital without help or those whose condition would deteriorate if they were to travel without assistance.

She said: "We are aware that the changes are putting community transport under pressure and will be monitoring this and speaking to councillors."

She said no changes had been made to the eligibility criteria but the NHS wanted to ensure it was more fairly applied. She also said more than 100 journeys were abandoned or cancelled each day.