Do the Clinical Commissioning Groups really care about patients?

[iansheff]

I ask this after seeing Look North last night, a woman who has been having dialysis for 13 years and has dialysis 3 times a week has had her transport withdrawn, she no longer meets the criteria for transport. The woman will have to try to either get a lift from someone, use public transport(if it is available at the times she requires it) or pay £25 a time for a taxi. They don't say how the criteria has changed, are they pushing to see how much they can cut before people say enough is enough?

 

Below is the article off the website, I haven't posted a link as it is among the news summary articles.

 

'Death sentence' handed to York kidney patient

A kidney patient from York says she's been handed "a death sentence" after being told funding to pay for her transport to get dialysis treatment is to be withdrawn.

 

Andrew Hansell

BBCCopyright: BBC

Thousands of vulnerable NHS patients with mobility issues get free travel to their appointments.

 

But Andrea Hansell, who has been receiving dialysis treatment three times a week for 13 years, has been told she no longer qualifies for the service.

 

With a return taxi fare of about £25.00, Ms Hansell says she won't be able to afford to get to her treatment. She says she can't drive and is totally reliant on hospital transport.

 

Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group says: "Transport has not been withdrawn for any patient who meets the eligibility criteria, which is assessed on a case-by-case basis".