Clinical group urged to back hospital bus

The East Riding Clinical Commissioning Group has been criticised for refusing to allocate any funding to the new trial for the hospital shuttle bus.

The shuttle bus service, which travels between Scarborough and Bridlington hospital sites, was due to end on Sunday July 17, after the Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said it could no longer fund the service due to the lack of passengers from their area using it.

Now, the Scarborough and Ryedale CCG has linked up with York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, East Riding Council and Bridlington Town Council to run a 12-week paidfor trial period to see if the shuttle bus can be self-financed.

Despite around 90 per cent of passengers coming from the Bridlington area, The East Riding Clinical Commissioning Group refused to allocate any funding to the trial service, a move that has been condemned in the town.

A Bridlington Town Council spokesman said: “We are very disappointed that the East Riding Clinical Commissioning Group have refused to allocate any funding to the trial service and resolved to contact that organisation to convey the council’s disappointment considering the importance of this service to the area. The town council would like to thank Mr David Boden from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s transport services department for his work with this matter.”

The new service began on Monday and is a paid-for service. Passengers are charged £4 for a single or £5 for a return journey.

Jane Hawkard, chief officer, NHS East Riding of Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “We have been in discussions with a number of stakeholder groups to help facilitate alternative solutions for the future funding of the service.

“We have made no provision within our health and care budget for patient transport funding over and above the 999 and Patient Transport Services currently commissioned and we are not in a position to act as guarantor for the new pilot.

“We very much hope the pilot is successful and the service is ultimately able to fund itself.”