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Talking Point / Talking Point - Hospital Bus
Talking Point - Hospital Bus
Thursday 9th April 2009

Andover's businesses have been criticised by the local NHS Trust for not supporting a vital service.

The town's popular hospital bus is struggling for funding and needs sponsorship to keep going.

It's been running for a year and takes people from the War Memorial Hospital to the Royal Hampshire County in Winchester for free.

It costs £60,000 a year to run and local companies have been asked to help out but a spokesperson from the local NHS Trust says they've been disappointed by the response.

This is our Talking Point today.

Do you think companies should be obliged to fund the Hospital Bus? Or should it be up to the local authorities to find the money themselves? Would you be prepared to pay to use it? You can post your comments below.
 
Comments
 
 
Manuela Wahnon. of Andover says:
12:05  on  Friday 30th October 2009
"To the owners and management of this service. I myself Joined this debate see above, on 19th April. From what I see the bus is still not running to capacity. Yet valuable revenue is being turned away by what I can only describe as jobsworths. I suggested then and will do so publicly now, if the bus is running anyway to accomadate what it was originally set up to do, which is ferry patients to Hospital, why oh why can non patients not also use the service on vacant seats, on a first come first served basis? A token fee of £1 is being charged to this service which lets face at that price it is just a token, but non patients could be charged the same or more,if there were seats available, and in particular if they were to be working for the hospital anyway. I hope this service continues and is profitable, because if it fails or it runs into financial difficulties I will wonder why potential customers were turned away.. "
 
 
John Newell of Andover says:
14:08  on  Monday 8th June 2009
"I have used this excellent bus service and would be sad to see it go. I'm in favour of expanding the service to include the Sarum Road private hospital in Winchester and making passengers going to and from there to pay."
 
 
Manuela of Andover says:
17:53  on  Sunday 19th April 2009
"I would like to respond to the comments made above from Maureen Faill. I think it is vital that the service is maintained, none of us want to go to Winchester hospital, through choice. Not everybody has access to a car or is able to be accomodated by Neighbour care help. As you all know I broke my right foot last year and was unable to use the bus, till it was out of plaster but then definitely found it useful for the follow up visits. I most certainly would pay for the service myself as I had cause to go to on a hospital visit only 10 days ago, and caught the 99 scenic route... by the time I got there I almost wanted to put our villages on a holiday destination brochure.. Far from removing the service I think it should be increased and possibly some way could be thought of where ordinary passengers could subside their use of this service if it was allowed so that another service was made available other than the public ones for access to Winchester in General. Perhaps a bus could go out there shall we say 10am DIRECT...... and RETURN DIRECT at 3pm, obviously the passengers would then have to pay for that service as valuable possible revenue for Andover would be going to Winchester... just a thought, either way, hands off our bus please mw"
 
 
Jenny Balchin of Andover says:
18:58  on  Friday 10th April 2009
"I havn't used this service but I know people that have. Surely the running of this bus for any length of time was all thought out by the local NHS before the service was put into practise!!! I think it's quite wrong to ask the local business people to help fund it, the recession is hitting everyone hard including business, so why, I ask myself, was the scheme thought up in the first place if there was no way of funding it!!? As this bus is quite a vital part of 'pateients' lives I just wonder how much longer the bus will run there and back to Winchester without the local people funding it!!!!"
 
 
Darren Crannis of Andover says:
16:26  on  Thursday 9th April 2009
"I believe the local NHS Trust is wrong to criticise local businesses. Business owners are finding running their own businesses tough enough during this economic downturn and have to analyse all spend, this includes marketing and sponsorship. Whilst it is openly agreed that community involvement is important to local businesses, there simply isn't the spare "cash" to donate anymore, and business owners are having to re-invest into their own businesses to preserve local jobs - which I'm sure many will agree is very important with both local and national unemployment figures rising. Sponsorship and support comes in many different forms, and doesn't necessarily have to come in the form of a “cash” donation, plenty of businesses will, where they can, give support "in-kind" via giving their time and /or resources free of charge where they can."
 
 
Maureen Faill of Andover says:
12:08  on  Thursday 9th April 2009
"As a user of this service prior to an operation this year at Winchester Hospital I can only say that I am not sure how I would have managed to attend these appointments without this service as I do not drive. I can understand how they are feeling trying to raise funds through local business as a representative of the Andover Carnival Committee it is a difficult time to raise funds. Perhaps the service could be offered to people without appointments for a charge using the vacant seats . Have a donation system for a while .? I wish them good luck "
 
 
Rebekah of andover amdirals way says:
09:05  on  Thursday 9th April 2009
"people should be able to fund it and no i would not pay because it hosiptal (my mum agress ) aswekk"
 
 
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