Southmead bus services safe

There was concern locally when some eagle-eyed people spotted that First Bus were deregistering the 82 bus service. However, Pat Hockey, the Lib Dem Transport lead member, has investigated and all is well.

Pat said, "I spoke to First’s Managing Director, James Freeman. In order to make bus services more reliable the timetables have been investigated and some of them found to be totally unrealistic in view of the traffic congestion. This has resulted in changes to timetables. The new timetables have to be registered with the Traffic Commissioners and will start on March 29th. The existing services have to be deregistered to accommodate this and include the 82."

"There is absolutely no intention to stop the Southmead services. The aim is to make them reliable. Before the changes come in I am assured there will be full publicity."

Healthwatch issues report on Southmead Hospital

Healthwatch, the consumer group concentrating on health and social care, has been consulting patients and the public about their experiences at Southmead Hospital - their report is available here.

North Bristol NHS Trust has responded in fairly general terms - for example, they say "Parking is an area of continuous improvement for us whilst waiting for the completion of the phase 2 development in spring 2016"

The report concentrates on matters within the hospital, so it doesn't really touch on issues such as bus services. Please let Pat Hockey pat.hockey@southglos.gov.uk know about any excessive delays or missing services on the Southmead routes.

Stop Press - First Bus Meet the Manager event on Thursday

First bus will be holding a meet the manager event in the Atrium at Southmead Hospital this Thursday 3 July from 10:00 - 14:00.

In the evening, there will be an online meet the manager session from 17:00 - 19:00 on Twitter (@FirstBSA) and Facebook (First West of England).

Both sessions will offer opportunities to residents of the West of England area to provide feedback on the changes to the services to the hospital which were made in April, the forthcoming changes to the fare structures in the wider West of England area (as Bristol was changed last November) and to discuss anything else which is of concern to them.

People thinking of catching a bus to Southmead from Frampton Cotterell should note that the correct service numbers are 81 and 82, not 41 and 42 as it said in the Frampton Cotterell ward Focus. Service 82 goes all the way to the hospital while service 81 requires a change at Parkway but takes a shorter route. Both go down Church Road.

Frenchay A&E moving to Southmead on Monday

The children's A&E has already moved from Frenchay to the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. At 2am on Monday 19th May, the A&E (Emergency Department) at Frenchay will close. Instead you will have to travel to Southmead. You can find out more about the move on the North Bristol Trust website.

Another way to get to Southmead and other hospitals

Green Community Travel now manages a dedicated Hospital Transport Scheme Monday to Friday to Southmead, Frenchay, BRI, Oncology and Bristol Eye and Dental Hospitals. You can find out more on their website and facebook page.

A bus ride in the right direction

Your local Focus Team has cautiously welcomed the new Yate-Southmead bus service.

It's good news for people living in Yate and villages like Coalpit Heath and Frampton Cotterell as the new service will mean seven day a week access to Southmead hospital. But it will not extend to Chipping Sodbury, and some passengers will need to change at Bristol Parkway station.

Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Cllr Pat Hockey said: “The service First has registered is a mixed bag - we’re pleased that local residents will be able to get to Southmead all days of the week, but we always wanted it to go as far as Sodbury. Patients or visitors from Sodbury will have to change in Yate, and sometimes then change again at Parkway - or go all around the houses. That is not good enough.

“This is a step in the right direction, but our campaign for good bus links between the Yate-Sodbury area and Southmead will go on.”

Local MP Steve Webb said: “I was disappointed to learn that Sodbury constituents have been left out. The new service meets a lot of what we've been campaigning for, but it's sadly short.”

Local health services delays

Frenchay Hospital is due to close when the new Southmead hospital opens in May 2014. Part of the plan was to have 68 beds ready as part of a Health and Social Care Centre at Frenchay but these plans are so far behind that the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is now saying they will use Elgar House at Southmead until the new Frenchay facility is built.

Cllr Sue Hope, the Lib Dem Health Spokesperson, said, “We’ve asked the Health Secretary to look again at this decision on the temporary beds and have made it clear the unit must remain in future plans. However we couldn’t support the other parties in referring all the plans to the Secretary of State. This will greatly delay planned improvements to services in Yate and across the patch and could put them at risk altogether. This issue is far too important to local people to be a political football.”

Under the CCG’s plans, Frenchay would be without health facilities until the 68 bed unit opens. However they would expand outpatient facilities in Yate and Cossham and add them to those at Southmead and Emerson’s Green, putting them within reach of the vast majority of South Gloucestershire residents. Those plans will now have to be put on hold due to the referral.

Some success for Southmead bus campaign

South Gloucestershire Council has agreed funding for a bus service for visiting times from Chipping Sodbury to the new hospital via Yate, Coalpit Heath and Frampton Cotterell. The NHS funding only covers improving the 581 service to half hourly, requiring a change to another bus at Parkway to get to Southmead.

Local MP Steve Webb who has been leading the “Bus to Southmead” campaign said, “I welcome this step forward but it still leaves staff and any outpatients having to change buses. We need to ensure the NHS keeps its promise to provide most treatment at Yate and Cossham as the extra 581 buses will enable people to get there. We must also try to persuade the bus companies to rethink their decision not to provide a through service commercially”.

Getting to the new hospital without a car

When the decision was taken to close Frenchay Hospital and concentrate services at Southmead, promises were made that there would be bus services to enable staff, patients and visitors to get there.

Because the new hospital is located within Bristol, the City Council holds the money which was allocated for new bus services.

Current proposals are that the 581 bus from Chipping Sodbury should run half hourly instead of hourly with passengers bound for Southmead Hospital changing to another service at Bristol Parkway to complete their journey.

Your FOCUS TEAM considers this to be very unsatisfactory and is continuing to push with support from Steve Webb MP for a through bus service.