- Published
An 83-year-old recovering cancer patient who has suffered two heart attacks was forced to drive himself on a four-hour round trip for medical tests.
asserted
who → publish → tests
Charles Swift was referred to Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, for tests on his heart in August - he lives in Borth, Ceredigion - which is 70 miles away.
He made inquiries about getting non-emergency transport but was refused by a call handler from the Welsh Ambulance Services Trust (WAST) when he told them he owned a car.
asserted
he → refer → car
"I can't understand why pensioners have to run about in their own car," he said.
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he → understand → car
WAST said it was not always able to meet the increasing demand for transport, and changes were underway to improve the service.
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changes → say → service
Swift, who has been treated for three types of cancer and has had two heart attacks, said when he rang hospital taxis, he was asked if he could walk, climb stairs and owned a car.
uncertain
he → treat → car
When he replied yes to all three, he said he was told: "You'll have to use that then.
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You → reply → that
I don't understand.
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I → understand → ?
What's the difference if you've got a car or not?
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you → get → car
It's not a good journey to do.
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It → do → ?
On another occasion, Swift was told on a Friday afternoon that his hospital transport for an appointment in Haverfordwest on the Monday had been cancelled, leading him to cancel the appointment.
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transport → tell → appointment
When he got hospital transport for a subsequent appointment, he said it was "very pleasant, no problem at all".
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it → get → appointment
Hywel Dda University Health Board's website says patients travelling to and from hospital are normally expected to organise their own transport.
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patients → say → transport
When that is not possible, some patients could be eligible for non-emergency patient transport provided by the Welsh Ambulance Service, but must meet eligibility criteria.
uncertain
patients → provide → criteria
This includes receiving regular dialysis or cancer treatment, needing a stretcher or oxygen or needing to travel in their own wheelchair.
asserted
This → include → wheelchair
Public transport is not a realistic option as trains from Borth to Haverfordwest take a minimum of three-and-a-half hours in each direction.
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trains → take → direction
Councillors in Ceredigion have made calls for better hospital transport system in rural areas.
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Councillors → make → areas
One of them, Hugh Hughes, met Swift shortly after his first appointment when the health board wanted him to go back for a second one.
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him → meet → one
He said: "He was distraught.
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He → say → ?
He didn't know how he was going to manage it.
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he → know → it
After Swift's initial request for transport, the ambulance service reviewed his phone call.
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service → review → call
According to Mark Harris, WAST's assistant director of operations, the transport would not have been refused if the service had more information.
uncertain
service → accord → information
"We've changed our processes now, and we've put some training out to our call taking team, so when Mr Swift rings again, he'll get a different answer," he said.
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he → change → answer
Harris said the demand for transport and the distances travelled to appointments were increasing, placing a strain on resources, which could lead to the cancellation of transport.
uncertain
which → say → transport
"We are seeing an increase in the volume of journeys we have to cancel where the demand exceeds our available resource," he said.
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he → see → resource
"So we will get occasions where we have more work than we can fit on our vehicles within a day [and] we're in the middle of a significant improvement programme now to address that."
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we → get → that
The councillors and voluntary organisations involved in patient transport have said that, even when a patient gets transport, bookings are frequently cancelled the day before the appointment.
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bookings → involve → appointment
Hughes said: "We've got a very good hospital in Bronglais just on our doorstep yet many of the services seem to be migrating further south.
"
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many → say → services
We've got to accept there will be occasions where you have to travel.
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you → get → ?
But this seems to be becoming far more prevalent."
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this → seem → ?
Dolen Teifi - a community transport service based in Llandysul - has 42 vehicles and 160 volunteer drivers covering Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.
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Teifi → base → Ceredigion
The charity's manager Rod Bowen said drivers make about 50 journeys to hospital appointments each week and had noticed that the ambulance service's capacity "has been stretched".
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capacity → say → appointments
While the non-emergency ambulance service is free, Dolen Teifi charges an average of 57p a mile to partly cover its costs.
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Teifi → charge → costs
"The demand for hospital appointments has gone up," added Bowen.
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Bowen → go → appointments
Bowen said the charity had taken 145 calls in the past two months when hospital transport had been cancelled the day before an appointment, and it was able to help in about a third of cases.
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it → say → cases
"We've been able to fill that gap, and it's quite an important gap to fill because basically that means the person can actually get to the hospital for their appointment," he added.
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he → fill → appointment
"We've seen a huge increase of people having to travel past their main hospital door to a hospital that could be anything up to 40 to 50 miles away."
uncertain
that → see → hospital
Bowen also said longer journeys for appointments were more common and older patients were "not really comfortable" driving to hospitals in unfamiliar areas.
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patients → say → areas
Hughes said the health board and the ambulance service needed to work together as people were "falling through the net and are not getting the transport they need".
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they → say → transport
Andrew Carruthers, chief operating officer at Hywel Dda health board, said the board covered a large rural area and it was "aware of the challenges that some of our patients face especially when they have to travel longer distances to access specialist treatment."
He added it worked closely with WAST, and it would raise concerns to see how "transport options available for our patients" could be improved.
uncertain
options → operate → patients
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