A councillor has shared a nightmare transport patient journey their mum had from Scunthorpe to Grimsby.
Pre-booked patient transport for North Lincolnshire Cllr Max Bell and his mum failed to turn up to her east Scunthorpe address on the morning of Friday, February 9. A Hull taxi was eventually sent, but the delays meant his mum was unable to have all three diagnostic tests she was booked in for.
Cllr Bell argues it shows existing patient transport arrangements struggle already, without additional future transport requirements if proposed Scunthorpe General Hospital changes go ahead. Some services, including the trauma unit, are proposed to be pooled to Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby.
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The Humber and North Yorkshire NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) said its transport plans for the service changes would not impact patient transport services for routine and planned appointments. Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS), which runs the northern Lincolnshire patient transport service, has apologised for any inconvenience and anxiety caused.
Grimsby Live spoke to Cllr Bell since he highlighted the experience he and his mother had on social media. His mum was to have three diagnostic tests at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby, from 8.30am. Originally on separate dates, they arranged to combine to be logistically easier.
Unable to drive, the early time and distance from the train station also made rail travel unrealistic. “It would not have worked so early in the morning,” Cllr Bell explained. “And even for an able-bodied person, it’s a good half hour walk from Grimsby Town Station.”
For such patient transport journeys, a person has to be ready two hours before their appointment, Cllr Bell reported. It was also booked “pretty early in January”. No ambulances were available at 7am. It was not realised no-one had turned up until Cllr Bell called the patient transport line.
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The patient transport line is advertised as open from only 8am. Cllr Bell’s call was picked up before. “Given the appointment’s at half past eight, that’s far too late. Had that information been accurate, we’d have been even later.”
A replacement taxi was sent, but from Hull, for an already late journey.
Cllr Bell and his mum reached the hospital, eventually. “My mother was due to have three tests. In the end, we were so late for one of them, they just didn’t do it.” They were returned in an ambulance, after a further hour wait.
He complained that day to YAS, though this appears to have not been with its patient relations team. His mother has not had the third test since. The result of the two diagnostic tests she did have are awaited first.
A Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust spokesperson said: “We are very sorry to hear that Cllr Max Bell’s mother experienced an issue with her patient transport journey on 9 February and apologise for any inconvenience and anxiety this may have caused. We would encourage Cllr Bell to get in touch with our patient relations team so that they can look into the matter fully and provide him with specific details relating to this.”
“It’s a complete open secret that the patient transport system is already broken,” Cllr Bell argued. He opposes proposed Scunthorpe General Hospital changes considered by the ICB. He is particularly concerned about transport issues for affected patients and families.
“The integrated care board’s own figure said it was 12 a day, which doesn’t sound like a lot but over the course of the year, that’s five thousand,” he said of the number of patients that will be affected if the changes happen. He also highlighted this includes children and young people who require more than 24 hours hospital stays to Grimsby only.
Elderly and disabled people disproportionately rely on the patient transport service. He predicted it would worsen if the proposed hospital changes went ahead. A Humber and North Yorkshire NHS ICB spokesperson differed.
“We are pleased Cllr Bell has taken up his concerns directly with Yorkshire Ambulance Service. While we are unable to comment on the specifics in this case, we can assure Cllr Bell and others that the changes we’ve put forward for some of our hospital services in Northern Lincolnshire are separate from, and would not impact on, patient transport services for routine and planned appointments, such as outpatient services.
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“During the 14-week public consultation which recently concluded we heard a lot about wider transport issues and it’s something we are talking to our local authority colleagues and other partners about. Final recommendations will be presented to the ICB Board later this year.”
Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe