POOR bus services, overcrowded car parks and weaknesses in hospital car and taxi transport have been revealed in a new report on problems facing older people visiting hospitals.
The Sic Transit report has been published after nine months of study by the Eastleigh Southern Parishes Older People's Forum into hospital visits made by older people in Hamble.
Diane Andrewes member of ESPOPF from Bursledon, who edited the report, said: "This study can be applied to any rural town or parish surrounding Southampton." The results show that every weekday 25 Hamble residents aged over 60 go to hospital either as a patient or as a visitor, and that most of these visits are to the outpatient departments of the two major Southampton hospitals.
Major problems that were highlighted include the lack of a direct bus service from Hamble to the main Southampton hospitals, the state of car parking at the hospitals and the weaknesses of the hospital car and taxi services.
Many older people were not eligible for a hospital taxi service.
The report makes a number of recommendations.
A spokesman for Southampton General Hospital said: "It's good that they have done the research and we welcome any comments. When we receive the report we will obviously consider it."
To order a copy e-mail diane.andrewes@virgin.net.
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