Free hospital shuttle bus to be axed due to costs

A free hospital shuttle service in Lancashire is to cease in April after an NHS trust said it cannot afford the £780,000 annual running cost.

The bus has been transporting staff, patients and visitors between hospitals in Blackburn, Burnley and Pendle since it was initially introduced as a five-year scheme in 2007.

Martin Hodgson, chief executive at East Lancashire Hospitals Trust (ELHT), said the decision, which has been criticised by some users, had "not been reached lightly".

"Continuing the shuttle bus would cost ELHT £780,000 in 2025-26 - with a minimum contractual commitment of a further three years - which we simply do not have," he said.

A recent trust survey drew responses from about 240 bus users, with the overwhelming majority saying they were hospital workers.

The trust said some journeys had fewer than five passengers and that eligible patients would be reimbursed for future bus fares.

Mr Hodgson advised patients who could not attend appointments to contact the trust for support.

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