Councillor calls for new NHS bus for Tyneside
Aug 14 2009 by Helen Rae, The Journal
A NORTH East councillor is calling for a new NHS-supported bus service in Tyneside.
The continuing row over plans for the location of a new specialist emergency care hospital in Cramlington has prompted Coun Greg Stone to highlight the needs of patients and relatives without transport of their own - both in respect of the potential new facility and existing hospitals in the area.
The senior Lib Dem parliamentary spokesman for Newcastle East called upon NHS Trusts to work alongside Nexus and bus companies to provide a new service linking hospital facilities in the city.
He said: “Since Stagecoach cancelled the 49 route and made major cuts to the number 3 service many patients and their relatives have had trouble accessing hospitals in the area. Infirm and elderly constituents in parts of Newcastle East frequently tell me that they are unhappy that it is very difficult to access sites such as the Freeman Hospital from parts of the East End due to the absence of a suitable north-south bus link.
“If a new hospital is built on a site by the A19, at Annitsford, near Cramlington, it is equally unlikely to be accessible for many people in the area without transport of their own.
“Currently the NHS provides its own transport shuttle service for staff working across sites.
“I would like to see the NHS consider financially supporting a new accessible bus service linking existing sites in Newcastle, including the General, RVI, Freeman, and Walkergate, as well as any new site in Cramlington.
“The service should be designed to provide a ‘missing link’ in the existing bus network, which would be open to ordinary passengers including patients, carers, and visitors.
“I would welcome consideration of this idea by Nexus and the local NHS Trusts, and will seek to promote this idea if elected.”
A spokesperson for Newcastle NHS Foundation Trust said: “The hospital is working in tandem with Newcastle City Council and local bus companies to provide a better public service to patients and their relatives.”
A Nexus spokesman said: “There are a number of different bus services from east Newcastle to the city's three hospitals.
“However, we have recently initiated a bus network design exercise across Tyne and Wear which will look at improving access to a number of different areas. Councillors will get the opportunity to have an input into this process.”
Concerns have already been raised about transport links of a proposed new specialist emergency care hospital near Cramlington.
Over the past three months there has been a public consultation on £200m plans to build a new emergency care hospital for people living in Northumberland and North Tyneside.
But a joint health scrutiny committee from North Tyneside, Northumberland and Newcastle councils have said there would be “considerable difficulties” for patients’ families to access the centre due to lack of public transport links.
A spokesperson for Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: “This is part of a large-scale consultation and we are pleased to have these views.
“We look forward to the outcome of the consultation.”
