§ Dr. Vaughanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consideration he is giving to the difficulties of travel to and from hospital faced by hospital patients who do not require ambulance or special transport for medical reasons and by visitors to patients in hospital; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Sir K. JosephI am issuing guidance to hospital authorities in HM(73)20 on ways in which they can help to minimise these difficulties. A copy of the memorandum has been passed to the Library.
This will include a comprehensive restatement of the arrangements that already exist to pay from public funds
394W
§ Mr. AlisonFigures relating to the general dental services in England are given below:
the travelling expenses of patients attending hospital for treatment—and in certain circumstances those of visitors to close relatives in hospital—in cases of hardship. I am particularly asking authorities to make these arrangements more widely known to people who come to hospital so that all who may be eligible are encouraged to apply for this help. My Department has prepared an information leaflet for this purpose and I am urging hospitals to use this as a basis for their own locally-produced leaflets which should include specific local information, for example, about where to apply for help and about other local sources of possible help.
But very often the difficulty is simply the journey itself, which may be lengthy and in an area where there is little or no public transport. This is a great problem for people who do not have a car or a friend with a car. The new circular suggests several ways in which hospitals may be able to help. Above all hospitals are being asked the seek and encourage more help from voluntary bodies and community groups. I am in no doubt that it is in community effort and good neighbourliness that the real answer to these problems lies. A number of national voluntary bodies have told me they are willing to do more in this field if they have the information on which to act. I am therefore asking hospital authorities to identify where the problems arise, and wherever necessary to set up liaison and information arrangements with voluntary bodies, and to do what they can within their powers to help these bodies with the running costs of providing voluntary 395W car services. I have also suggested in this circular, which is being copied also to local authorities and a number of voluntary organisations, that the running expenses of a voluntary transport scheme may in some areas be a very worthwhile objective for the fund-raising activities of leagues of hospital friends and similar bodies.