Access to Healthcare for Woking people is under threat

Dr Anne Lee said: "Access to health-care is vital. There is a pincer movement in health care happening in Woking. There is a shortage of GP's in Woking, which means that more people are going to use the walk-in centre at the Community Hospital.

"At the recent Primary Care Trust's meeting (11.11.04) it was made clear that there is also a plan to introduce car parking charges at the Hospital (starting at 70p for the first hour). It is understandable that people must be prevented from using the Hospital car park for commuter journeys, but there are other ways of dealing with this problem. I am particularly sad that the poorest in our community will have to pay to park at the Community Hospital.

"The whole issue of transport health-care healthcare is a hot issue. Ashford St Peters have put a lot of thought into managing transport between their two hospitals (they are piloting a shuttle bus-hourly shuttlebus) but transport to St Peters at Chertsey from Woking is very poor. Whilst the Trust is trying to improve transport between the hospitals, Surrey County Council are busy planning to cut the Maybury and Sheerwater/Byfleet Peterbus. Residents tell me that timetables are hard to find and the bus stops are in the wrong positions. No wonder nobody uses the bus.

"Do I see a clever cost-cutting move by the Tory-run County Council? Make a service inaccessible and then claim that no-one uses it."

Ends

Further information: Dr Anne Lee 07973 175059

Notes for the Editor

The Chairman of Ashford and St Peters Hospital Trust spoke to the Patient and Public Involvement Forum's first public meeting on 8th November 04. He included an update about progress on transport and said "I think we have got to the limits of what we (the Hospital Trust) can do now". The meeting was held at Ashford.

Plans to introduce car parking charges are included in the monthly progress report on the Financial Recovery Plan, given to the Surrey Health and Woking Primary Care Trust Board Meeting held at Woking Community Hospital on 11th November.