Can’t afford to travel to hospital appointments

pmduk

The RVS (was WRVS) often has voluntary driver schemes, have you tried them?

Prinzessilein

I would phone around a few taxi firms...where I live some taxi firms have a set charge to a hospital, rather than a mileage fee.

Look for some sort of volunteer driver system (ask at the local library for example, they often have these details) ...we have a good network of local people who take people for a very reasonable fee.

Ask at your GP surgery what transport help is available.

(And by 'ask', in my case it means get someone else to ask for me!...I have ASD and do not communicate well with others....but as I have other conditions that necessitate regular hospital trips, I work around this to get the help I need to travel there and back!)

lisyloo

but that's not helping the OP

It may help others, so they don't get themselves into this situation by planning for what is forseeable. These boards are for everyone to learn from. If the OP wants private advice they should go somewhere private.

Jeez, can you stop lecturing?

Frankly no..
It's lack of planning for the perfectly foreeseable that's got the OP into this sitaution and others can learn from that. This is what we are here to do to help others. If you call that lecturing then so be it.


Their attitude is also stopping them getting help and they need to be told that and change it.


Very poor to ask people to stop helping others (lecturing if you like), that's exactly what the boards are here for.

fibonarchie

lisyloo wrote: »

Frankly no..
It's lack of planning for the perfectly foreeseable that's got the OP into this sitaution and others can learn from that. This is what we are here to do to help others. If you call that lecturing then so be it.


Their attitude is also stopping them getting help and they need to be told that and change it.


Very poor to ask people to stop helping others (lecturing if you like), that's exactly what the boards are here for.

Just stop being so self-righteous. It's getting tedious and more to the point, you're not helping.


OP I suggest u do as I do, and just add them to 'ignore'..

bugslet

lisyloo wrote: »

It may help others, so they don't get themselves into this situation by planning for what is forseeable. These boards are for everyone to learn from. If the OP wants private advice they should go somewhere private.


Frankly no..
It's lack of planning for the perfectly foreeseable that's got the OP into this sitaution and others can learn from that. This is what we are here to do to help others. If you call that lecturing then so be it.


Their attitude is also stopping them getting help and they need to be told that and change it.


Very poor to ask people to stop helping others (lecturing if you like), that's exactly what the boards are here for.

lisy, we are a lot alike in some ways, I have to lots of illness insurance, I've overpaid my mortgage so I can take a break if I ever need to, I have access to money. I have no family, but I do have some quality friendships, though people have lives of their own. I live four miles from a small hospital and 15 miles from a major one.

However, I don't have MH issues like the OP, I'm not worrying about what is physically wrong with me. There are things s/he should have done, but s/he is where s/he is now and that is what needs to be dealt with. Sorry, you are coming over a bit lecturing.

suejb2

I don't know which hospital you attend, had a quick look and Belfast Health and social Care Trust have a Hospital Travel cost scheme. This trust covers Belfast Royal Victoria,Mater and Musgrave hospitals.


This may help https://www.nidirect.gov.uk and look for travel costs.

sheramber

contact the Patient Client Council.

http://www.patientclientcouncil.hscni.net/uploads/files/Complaints,_Suggestions_or_Compliments1.pdf

They may be able to offer advice.

There must be others who live rurally with the same problem

suki1964

ripplyuk wrote: »

I’m in South Down. I’m right on the boundary between two different council areas which is why the community transport scheme is a problem because they won’t go out of their own area.

Thank you for saying you would take me Suki, but I know you are far up north compared to me.

Yes Im North Antrim, The Causeway area

I found this Number for community transport, give them a ring, they may be able to help or at least pass you on to someone who can
0845 650 1190

suki1964

sheramber wrote: »

contact the Patient Client Council.

http://www.patientclientcouncil.hscni.net/uploads/files/Complaints,_Suggestions_or_Compliments1.pdf

They may be able to offer advice.

There must be others who live rurally with the same problem

Theres hundreds of us in the same situation

60%of the population of NI live in rural areas

Most of those areas have lost their local bus services

My hospital is 17 miles away and I can not get to it by public transport, without a 4 mile walk first

Id have to walk to the nearest town, get a bus to the town past the hospital, and then sit and wait on the bus that serves the hospital. With buses from my nearest town only every four hours - its a day trip

We did have a local country bus service until 3 years ago. Having a bus service was the reason I chose to live where I do. It was a well used service , no reason to think it would be scrapped but it was

Trains do not cover the whole of NI, it can be that the OP has to travel 20 miles to a train station

Its not for nothing there are car share carparks at all major road junctions, if you don't have use of a car you really are !!!!!!ed for getting about

sheramber

I also live in a rural crofting area with no public transport where life is difficult without a car.

Our nearest village shop in 7 miles away, doctor's surgery in 16 miles , nearest town with supermarket is 20 miles, train station 9 miles or 20 miles with 3 trains a day, local cottage hospital in 40 miles away and main hospital is 100 miles away.