LEYBURN MEDICAL PRACTICE PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP PATIENT (HOSPITAL) TRANSPORT SURVEY Summary Analysis and Commentary

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1 LEYBURN MEDICAL PRACTICE PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP PATIENT (HOSPITAL) TRANSPORT SURVEY 2012 Summary Analysis and Commentary This survey was commissioned by the Committee of Leyburn Medical Practice Patient Participation Group and was carried out over the period from 14 May to 31 August Respondents were self selecting with questionnaires being available in the surgery and online. A total of 45 responses were received with many respondents commenting on multiple hospital appointments and journeys. 52% of hospital visits were to The Friarage Hospital; 19% were to James Cook (Middlesbrough); 11% were to Darlington Memorial Hospital; and the remainder (18%) to other hospitals within a radius of 55 miles. 80% of respondents were aged over 61 (31% over 75). A significant minority of respondents (45%) stated that travel arrangements had influenced their choice of hospital. 52% of appointments attended were for outpatient clinics or diagnostic tests whilst 11% were for day surgery, 3% for chemotherapy, and 14% for an inpatient stay. 81% stated that appointment times were convenient, but those who found them inconvenient provided additional comments which suggest significant problems in attending appointments at venues and times over which they often felt that they had little or no practical choice. To travel to appointments, 60% used their own car whilst 28% were reliant on lifts from others. 6% used the Yorkshire Ambulance Patient Transport Service; 4% used taxis; and 2% used the volunteer driver service. Taxi fares ranged from 20 to 56 depending on journeys and one relative of a patient chose to spend 2 nights in local accommodation at a cost of 150 rather than travel to and from hospital for visiting. Multiple visits to relatives staying in hospital ranged from 5 to 8 visits per patient stay. Difficulty in arranging transport ranged from 13% who found it extremely difficult to 30% who had no problem at all. Additional comments from respondents showed significant concerns over the state of the ambulance service s transport provision and one patient provided a copy of a letter written to Richmondshire MP, Rt Hon William Hague which catalogued a serious of frankly appalling failings. Comments generally suggest that travelling to Middlesbrough is a very real problem for many patients in terms of the length of the journey, parking problems, unfamiliarity with the area, and cost. Patients appear to place considerable reliance on the goodwill of extended family members and neighbours without whom they would be unable to make hospital appointments due to the lack of public transport and the apparent poverty of the Patient Transport Service. The general sense is that the location and timing of appointments makes no allowance for the distances and logistical difficulties faced by many patients and some patients appear to be choosing hospitals on the basis of ease of travel above any other consideration. It is interesting note that over half of the appointments were for outpatient clinics or diagnostic tests, a proportion of which could probably be offered safely in community settings closer to patients homes.

2 PATIENT (HOSPITAL) TRANSPORT SURVEY 2012 Detailed Analysis of Responses Survey Run: May to August inclusive Total Responses Received: 45 (with multiple hospital visits) Analysis: % relates to the responses to each question 1 Have you attended a hospital appointment (outpatient or inpatient) as a patient in the last 12 months? Yes 44 (98%) No 1 (2%) 2 Have you attended a hospital appointment (outpatient or inpatient) as someone accompanying a patient in the last 12 months? Yes 24 (56%) No 19 (44%) 3 Was the appointment at (please tick): The Friarage, Northallerton 33 (52%) Darlington Memorial Hospital 7 (11%) James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough 12 (19%) York District Hospital 2 (4%) Harrogate District Hospital 2 (4%) Freeman, Newcastle 1 (2%) St James, Leeds 1 (2%) Friary, Richmond 1 (2%) University Hospital of North Durham 1 (2%) Bishop Auckland DGH 1 (2%) 4 Did travel arrangements influence your choice of hospital? Yes 20 (45%) No 24 (55%) 5 Was the appointment for (please tick): Outpatient clinic 39 (54%) A scan/ tests 13 (18%) Day surgery 8 (11%) Chemotherapy treatment 2 (3%) An inpatient procedure involving a stay of 1 night or more 10 (14%)

3 6 Was the appointment time convenient to you? Yes 34 (81%) No 8 (19%) Comments: Very efficient appt times Sent down from surgery to hospital A bit early for how far we have to travel Time of appt was 8am transport did not start until 9am I am trying to find a job it was 3:15pm which would put employers off. Not always bearing in mind length of journey. Sometimes had to leave home at 6:40am. Still had to wait 12 weeks. 7 How did you travel to your appointment (please tick)? Own car 31 (60%) Patient Transport Service Ambulance 3 (6%) Taxi 2 (4%) Volunteer Driver Service 1 (2%) Lift with friend/ neighbour/ relative 15 (28%) 8 How easy did you find it to arrange transport (score between 0 and 10 where 0 is extremely difficult and 10 is no problem at all) 0 4 (13%) 1 1 (3%) 3 2 (6%) 4 3 (10%) 5 3 (10%) 6 2 (6%) 8 6 (19%) 9 1 (3%) 10 9 (30%) 9 If you used a bus or a taxi or the volunteer driver service how much did you pay? 1 x 20 1 x 30 1 x If you used the volunteer driver service how did you find out about it? Leyburn Medical Practice 11 If you were accompanying someone who was to have an inpatient stay did you return home once you had dropped them off or did you book accommodation near to the hospital? Dropped off 9 (90%) Stayed in accommodation 1 (10%)

4 12 If you booked accommodation near to the hospital how long was this for and how much did you pay? Length of stay 1 x 2 nights Cost 1 x If you were visiting someone who was staying in hospital how many times did you travel to visit them? 1 x 5 (2 x from local accommodation; 3 x from home) 1 x 6 1 x 8 14 Please indicate your age group: Under to 45 2 (4%) 46 to 60 7 (16%) 61 to (49%) Over (31%) 15 Please use the space below to provide us with any comments that you have about getting to hospital appointments. The route by car to JCUH is very pleasant and straight forward using A19/ A174/2 not as per a relative s satnav. I have not so far had any difficulty Very difficult if no personal transport is available. My husband is my driver and he himself is unwell. In all cases would prefer Harrogate or Northallerton or Richmond. Car parking was a problem spaces and cost. I prefer to use Harrogate but had to use a taxi to get there for an operation 2 years ago. My wife doesn t drive so was dependent on friends and relatives for visits over 3 weeks. Prefer train to Newcastle polite and excellent service by top docs and nurses. Winter is a problem. No good public transport to JCUH. Parking problems at JCUH. As long as one can drive it is fine. I/we ve been very lucky in that for all appointments for ourselves and ageing parents it s been possible for us to drive rather than have to have passenger transport provided a different story with getting my father in law to Dewsbury hospital (aargh! A nightmare). Prefer Friarage to James Cook. My daughter had to take time off work to take me.

5 Very difficult have to rely on friends being available. Be better if they answered the phone. My daughter had to take time off work to take me. Extremely difficult getting to JCUH. Was worried I would miss my theatre list at James Cook as the transport did not arrive until 10:00am. The hospital rang up to see if I was coming! I will not go to hospital as an emergency again as 56 for a taxi home at midnight was awful, particularly as the driver asked me if I had my bank card as he would take me to a bank machine for the money if I had. I only had my nightdress and dressing gown on and it was midnight in the middle of winter. Had no choice of hospital because of hospitals only doing certain procedures. Cost of fuel for 68 session (of radiotherapy) approx 600 which is a large sum for a pensioner. I chose the Friarage over James Cook as I can drive myself safely there, but if I d had to get to James Cook as I did once before, I would have had to use the volunteer driver service as my family live too far away. When I drove to James Cook previously on my own, the stress of a) being with a walking stick and in pain b) unfamiliar roads with very fast traffic and not well signed and getting lost 3 times c) having to park in V1 or V2 car parks miles from where the treatment was, was stressful. Parking is a problem at most hospitals but is especially difficult and time consuming at James Cook. In a rural area travel to hospital appts will be difficult and public transport is not good enough. At present we can generally get to hospital under our own steam. In years to come we may have to use the volunteer driver service. Tried to attend but unable to fin hospital and got lost came home and missed appt. It is a nightmare to get to James Cook hospital form Leyburn for patients who are not used to city driving. Also the hospital is not well signposted from motorway.

6 Extract (with permission) from a letter written by a patient to Rt Hon William Hague MP detailing a catalogue of problems in using the Patient Transport Service:

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