At its meeting held on 23 March 2016, Dover District Council’s Scrutiny (Community and Regeneration) Committee made the following recommendation to the Dover Joint Transportation Board:
‘That the Scrutiny (Community and Regeneration) Committee is extremely concerned about the lack of direct public transport connectivity from the major population centres in the district to hospitals in east Kent, and it requests that the Dover Joint Transportation Board takes up the matter on its behalf with a view to seeking a resolution to the problem as quickly as possible.’
Minutes:
Mr Frost requested that a working group be formed to address the lack of public transport provision for hospitals in east Kent. Travelling to Ashford or Margate hospitals by bus necessitated at least two journeys which was unacceptable. Councillor Eddy advised that this was a long-standing issue which had previously been raised with the Quality Bus Partnership (QBP). The lack of a coordinated bus service caused a problem for junior hospital staff as well as visitors. Councillor Collor pointed out that the QBP for Dover was not responsible for bus services outside the district; other QBPs would therefore need to be involved if the matter was to be raised at this forum.
The Planning and Operations Manager – Public Transport advised that this matter had been raised on a number of occasions. The amalgamation of hospital services now meant a longer journey for many people to reach their nearest hospital. To provide bus services to the major population centres via the normal bus network would be physically difficult and require discrete funding. Neither KCC nor the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group was in a position to fund such services. That said, KCC was developing a pilot project with the NHS which involved the pooling of resources in order to provide better transport linkages using car clubs, etc. However, it was likely to be another year before they would be in a position to trial the pilot.
Councillor Chandler raised concerns about the apparent unreliability of patient transport. In her view, the Overview and Health Committee should be asking questions of service-providers whose services fell short of what was expected, particularly at the time they were re-commissioned. In respect of bus services, it was unrealistic to expect the network to fulfil the needs of all residents, particularly those in rural areas. There were voluntary networks that provided transport services, and better coordination and information about these was what was needed.
Councillor Eddy remarked that ambulance services and patient transport were commissioned by the NHS and therefore beyond the remit of KCC. However, hospital bus services were within KCC’s remit and it was time to make progress on this matter by raising it with the appropriate body, whatever that may be. Councillor Bond commented that the issue of public transport accessibility had been an ongoing problem for a number of years and it was therefore also appropriate to raise it with the Head of Public Transport at KCC.
The Planning and Operations Manager – Public Transport informed Members that his department was responsible for all the QBPs. He would therefore look at holding a meeting with Stagecoach and representatives from all the QBPs with a view to discussing this problem and exploring ideas with Stagecoach.
RESOLVED: (a) That a meeting be arranged by Kent County Council with
Stagecoach, Quality Bus Partnership representatives and others (as appropriate) in order to explore ideas and options for the improvement of bus services to Ashford, Canterbury and Margate hospitals.
(b) That the issue of public transport accessibility to hospitals in east Kent be raised with the Head of Public Transport at Kent County Council.