Published on:
14
May 2013
Council Leader Gary Womersley has reacted strongly to a claim by NHS Forth Valley that planned new arrangements for bus services from Clackmannanshire to Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert will maintain good links with local communities.
Last month the Council held talks with NHS Forth Valley and expressed concerns at their proposal to replace the existing H1 and H2 services with a service only from Alloa to the hospital in Larbert.
The Council was reassured then that talks and consultation would continue and that a revised Travel Plan would be submitted for discussion. However, this week NHS Forth Valley issued a statement which states that the H1 and H2 services will be replaced by an hourly bus service from Alloa, operating on weekdays only with the first bus leaving Alloa at 6.50am and the last at 6pm. The first returning service leaves the hospital at 7.20am and the last at 6.30pm.
The current services operates 7 days per week, albeit at a slightly reduced level at weekends. The first bus (H2) leaves Dollar for Forth Valley Royal Hospital at 5.30am and the last one leaves at 9.30pm while the first bus (H1) leaves Alva at 6.31am and the last one leaves at 6.31pm. The last bus (H2) leaves the hospital for Dollar at 10.32pm calling in Alloa at 11.03pm.
The proposed new services provide a severely reduced service for those visiting the hospital in the evenings and at weekends and does not cater for staff shift changes at those times.
Councillor Womersley said: "The approach which is now being proposed is a let down for the people of Clackmannanshire. The Council had been actively trying to offer ways that would save NHS Forth Valley money and still provide an accessible service from Clackmannanshire to the hospital in Larbert. However, for various reasons NHS Forth Valley has not found it possible to consider those. The proposed approach reduces access for the people of Clackmannanshire and it is disappointing that NHS Forth Valley have not been able to work with us as community planning partners to come to a position of mutual benefit. Contrary to the view expressed by NHS Forth Valley, the approach now proposed for bus services from Clackmannanshire to Larbert does not make good connections with other services. There will be a lot of anger about the proposed approach in Clackmannanshire and I will be writing formally to the Health Board setting out my concerns in the strongest terms and also raising the issue with the relevant Government Ministers."