The Barnard Castle-based service, which enables those who are less mobile to attend medical appointments, was left hanging in limbo in March. Durham County Council ceased funding and although a generous donation of £3,000 was received from the Friends of Richardson Hospital, a more centralised approach is now being taken to deliver the service for the next three years.
Charities Volunteering Matters and Supportive will operate the new Help to Health service from July 3 covering Teesdale, Weardale, Easington, Sedgefield, Derwentside, Chester-le-Street and Durh-am City.
NHS Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield and NHS North Durham Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have worked with Durham County Council to arrange the new service.
Durham County Council’s director of public health, Amanda Healy, said there are a number of similar services across the area.
She added: “It is just no longer viable to support such a fragmented approach.
“Instead, a new single volunteer driver service which will support people across the whole county by providing transport for healthcare appointments is being created.
“We have also worked hard to ensure information is available to people who use the existing services, staff and anyone else affected by these changes.”
In light of the changes which includes charging patients a fare, volunteer driver and organiser Trevor Goodge, of Startforth, has stepped down from his role after three and a half years.
Mr Goodge said: “This decision has not come lightly but I cannot support something that I don’t believe in because the changes will be detrimental to the people of Teesdale.”
Patients will now have to pay 45p a mile as well as any car parking charges. Donations are no longer enough to cover the costs and Volunteering Matters is no longer in a position to be able to support the shortfall, health chiefs say.
But Mr Goodge said: “I have taken one lady for years and she was in tears about it.
“I think the whole system is ill-conceived. Not one call or meeting was set up to discuss this with volunteers.
“It has gone from a donation run thing to a taxi. It is infringing on a taxi service. A trip from Barnard Castle to Darlington is going to cost £18 rather than a £10 donation which is what it was before.
“For a trip to James Cook it was a donation of £25 but at 45p per mile you are looking at £36 for a journey. This is something the patient should not have to worry about.”
The Help to Health phone booking line will be open Monday to Friday except bank holidays. Transport will be available from 8.30am to 5.30pm weekdays.
Mr Goodge said: “I have taken people on a Saturday and a Sunday. I have brought people back late on a night when they have been discharged. The surgery has even rang me last minute asking if I can take someone to hospital. What happens when people need to get there?
“We have had one missed journey out of 3,000. It has worked from day one.”
Transport can be booked up to four weeks before the appointment date but the patient must give a minimum of 48 hours’ notice. Same day requests cannot be accepted.
Mr Goodge thanked his group of 14 volunteer drivers for their support. He said: “We all went that extra mile for our community.”
For more information about the service call 0300 330 9424.
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