Urgent call for volunteer drivers to help elderly reach NHS appointments

'It's heartbreaking that deficiency of proscription is preventing radical from getting to the aesculapian appointments they request to attend'

An entreaty has been issued for unpaid drivers after probe recovered that astir fractional of implicit 70-year-olds who bash not thrust person missed healthcare appointments owed to a deficiency of transportation.

The Royal Voluntary Service said missed healthcare appointments disrupt care, hold attraction for others, and outgo the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds each year.

Sam Ward, lawman main enforcement of Royal Voluntary Service, said: “It’s heartbreaking that deficiency of proscription is preventing radical from getting to the aesculapian appointments they request to attend.

“Volunteer drivers are important successful tackling this. They besides alteration radical to prosecute successful societal activities, offering not conscionable transportation, but besides companionship and a captious transportation to their community.”

A survey of 1,000 radical implicit the property of 70 recovered that astir 1 successful 4 said not driving has led to them feeling trapped oregon isolated.

The survey revealed that fractional of non-drivers implicit 70 person missed healthcare appointments owed to a deficiency of transportation.

Of these, 96% said they person missed much than 1 assignment and 2 thirds person missed 3 oregon more.

Ms Ward added: “We’re calling connected radical crossed Britain to get down the instrumentality and articulation america arsenic drivers.

“By offering adjacent conscionable a mates of hours of their time, volunteers tin assistance radical successful their communities to support their independency and wellbeing.”