Ceredigion heart attack patient had 140-mile round hospital trip

An 83-year-old man with a history of cancer and heart attacks was compelled to drive himself on a four-hour round trip to undergo medical tests. Charles Swift, who resides in Borth, Ceredigion, was scheduled for heart examinations at Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, a distance of 70 miles, in August. Despite seeking non-emergency transportation from the Welsh Ambulance Services Trust (WAST), his request was denied when a call handler learned that he owned a car.

Swift expressed his frustration, stating, “I can’t understand why pensioners have to run about in their own car.” He explained that when he contacted hospital taxis, he was asked if he could walk, climb stairs, and if he had a car. Upon replying affirmatively to all questions, he was told to use his own vehicle. Swift found the journey exhausting, noting, “It’s not a good journey to do. It was tiring.” In another instance, he was informed late on a Friday that his transport for a Monday appointment in Haverfordwest had been cancelled, forcing him to cancel the appointment altogether. However, he reported that a later hospital transport experience was “very pleasant, no problem at all.”

According to the Hywel Dda University Health Board’s guidance, patients are generally expected to arrange their own transportation to and from hospital visits. Non-emergency patient transport provided by WAST is only available to those meeting specific eligibility criteria, such as patients undergoing regular dialysis or cancer treatment, or those requiring specialized travel accommodations like stretchers, oxygen, or wheelchair transport. In Swift’s case, public transportation was not a feasible alternative, as the train journey between Borth and Haverfordwest takes at least three and a half hours each way.

Local councillors in Ceredigion have called for improvements to hospital transport services in rural regions. Hugh Hughes, a councillor who met Swift following his first appointment, shared, “He was distraught. He didn’t know how he was going to manage it. He was absolutely exhausted after the first experience.” After reviewing Swift’s initial call, WAST acknowledged that the refusal arose from insufficient information and have since revised their procedures and provided additional staff training. Mark Harris, assistant director of operations at WAST, explained, “We’ve changed our processes now, and we’ve put some training out to our call taking team, so when Mr Swift rings again, he’ll get a different answer.” He also noted that increased demand and extensive distances placed significant pressure on the service, leading to cancellations. “We are seeing an increase in the volume of journeys we have to cancel where the demand exceeds our available resource,” Harris said, while highlighting ongoing efforts to improve the system.

Community representatives and voluntary groups assisting patients with transport report frequent last-minute cancellations. Hughes commented on these challenges: “We’ve got a very good hospital in Bronglais just on our doorstep yet many of the services seem to be migrating further south… This seems to be becoming far more prevalent.” Additionally, a charity spokesperson, Bowen, revealed that in the past two months, they had received 145 calls from patients whose transport had been cancelled the day before their appointment and were able to provide support in about a third of these situations. Bowen added, “We’ve seen a huge increase of people having to travel past their main hospital door to a hospital that could be anything up to 40 to 50 miles away,” and remarked that older patients often feel uneasy driving to hospitals in unfamiliar locations.

Both Hughes and Andrew Carruthers, chief operating officer at the Hywel Dda Health Board, emphasized the need for closer cooperation between the health board and ambulance services to address transport gaps. Carruthers acknowledged the difficulties faced by patients in large rural areas, particularly those who must travel long distances for specialist care. He said, “We are aware of the challenges that some of our patients face especially when they have to travel longer distances to access specialist treatment,” and confirmed ongoing collaboration with WAST to explore ways to enhance transport options for patients

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