BUS SERVICE Bwcabus is working in partnership with health organisations in the Teifi Valley to give patients access to the care they need.

Living in rural and sometimes remote areas of Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, many patients struggle to attend appointments.

But unlike traditional bus services, Bwcabus is flexible, more widely available, and journeys can be pre-booked to meet people’s needs when attending appointments.

Philip Bower, from Llandyfriog, regularly uses the service to attend his surgery in Adpar.

He said: “Bwcabus helps me enormously as I don’t drive. Without the service I would have to walk along a busy road with no pavement or even ask neighbours. Bwcabus gives me my independence and I can depend on it being there.

“I have also used Bwcabus a number of times to visit a relation in Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth and have myself attended hospital appointments in Cardigan and Carmarthen using Bwcabus to connect with the Cardigan to Carmarthen 460 service. I find the service invaluable.”

Doctors’ surgeries are benefitting with less demand for home visits; and there is less reliance on non-emergency transport for hospital appointments.

Teifi Surgery in Llandysul is one of a number of surgeries to actively promote Bwcabus to its patients.

Dr Chant said: “Teifi Surgery has found the services provided by Bwcabus to be extremely beneficial to our patients as the rural nature of our practice often causes difficulty to attend surgery.

“Having encouraged patients to use the service has resulted in less requests for home visits."

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