Speak up on hospital transport woes

A group of councillors are calling on residents to speak up about their hospital transport woes as they push for a more comprehensive transport policy in rural Wales.

The move comes after the Cambrian News reported last month that an 83-year-old Borth man was quoted £200 to get to a hospital appointment in Haverfordwest, with the local councillor, Hugh Hughes, pointing out it would be quicker for his residents to get to London than Pembrokeshire.

Charles Swift was due to have a nuclear medicine stress test at Withybush Hospital, which previously has exhausted him, but was told no transport was available to take him on the 160 mile round trip.

Because he owns a car, patient services told him he would have to make his own way to Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest.

He enquired with on how much travel would cost with a community taxi service and was told it would be between £160 and £200, but that they didn’t have drivers on a Monday.

He was advised to get the bus if that was not an option.

A group of councillors agree with Mr Swift’s sentiment and have been told similar stories by residents in rural mid Wales anecdotally.

Councillors Hugh Hughes, Marc Davies, Meirion Davies, Raymond Evans, Gwyn Wigley Evans, Wyn Evans, Gareth Lewis and Carl Worrall are now asking members of the public to get in touch so they can lobby health boards to review transport policy for residents in rural Wales.

The councillors aim to show health bosses that there is a problem and push for a comprehensive review.

Borth councillor, Hugh Hughes, said: “Following the publication of the article regarding Mr Swift’s experience in not urgent patient transport several people have come forward to share their experience which have been like the one Mr Swift experienced.

“We are collating these responses and will use this evidence to try to get a patient transport summit moved forward.

“We want to highlight the issues our residents are facing accessing healthcare here in North Ceredigion and believe from the anecdotes we are hearing that we are only just scratching the surface.

“We welcome contact from our residents who wish to share their experiences with patient travel (or lack of). We are happy to treat these responses in strict confidence but would like to draw on these responses as evidence to encourage HDUHB, WAST and Welsh Government Ministers to recognise the serious issues our residents experience here in North Ceredigion.

Responding to concerns raised by Mr Swift, Andrew Carruthers, Chief Operating Officer at Hywel Dda University Health Board said: “Our Health Board covers a large rural area and we are aware of the challenges that some of our patients face when they have to travel longer distances to access specialist treatment.

“The Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust (WAST) provide our patients with non-emergency transport to medical appointments, where appropriate, and we are grateful to them for the service they provide.

“The responsibility for public transport lies with our local authority partners.”