THE cost of hospital transport for those living in rural areas could rise following the introduction of a new scheme introduced across Devon last week. Geoffrey Cox, MP for West Devon and Torridge, said the changes meant that those who use an ambulance car to travel to hospital for appointments would now have to pay 40p per mile instead of the previous flat rate of £4. Mr Cox deplored the South Western Ambulance Services Trust?s move, which, he said, meant that some patients? bills for travel would be as much as £50. He said: ?This scheme blatantly discriminates against rural communities, among whom there are many sick, infirm and elderly people living on modest means. ?They will find this new burden adds even more stress to the inevitable strain of illness. ?Rural people already face the necessity of travelling many miles for hospital treatment, particularly as services have been withdrawn to the larger hospitals in cities. ?It is disgraceful that an elderly patient living, say, near Hatherleigh, who has regular appointments at Derriford will now have to pay ten times as much for the same service,? Mr Cox said. The MP has tabled urgent parliamentary questions asking Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt what research the Government undertook before allowing the change and what steps it is taking to advertise the discounts available for the elderly and those on fixed incomes. He said volunteers had also expressed concern about the responsibility of carrying such significant sums of money.
