Cancer treatment shuttlebus service set to end

The Daisy Bus links the Isle of Wight ferry terminal and hotels with University Hospital Southampton

An "essential" free shuttlebus that takes patients undergoing cancer treatment to and from hospital is to be discontinued.

Wessex Cancer Support's Daisy Bus is used by patients travelling for treatment from the Isle of Wight as well as those from the Channel Islands staying in hotels in the Southampton.

The charity said external funding from the States of Jersey had been withdrawn and the service would end on 20 August.

The Government of Jersey has been contacted for comment.

The bus runs five times a day between the Leonardo Hotel, Deanery Court, Ocean Village and the RedJet terminal at Town Quay, taking patients to University Hospital Southampton (UHS).

Wessex Cancer Support said: "We're sad about the decision to stop the Southampton Daisy Bus, but the decision was made with our NHS partners after exploring other options for future funding.

"We have had external funding... which has unfortunately now stopped."

A similar Daisy Bus service, connecting Portsmouth's ferry terminal with the Queen Alexandra Hospital, will continue for the time being.

Tim Belgrove, from Freshwater on the Isle of Wight, used the Portsmouth service in 2017 during his radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

He said the buses were an "essential" service for people on the island undergoing treatment on the mainland.

"They are a lifesaver. Getting public transport would be lengthy and taxis are expensive," he said.

Another island patient, Rex Goldsmith, said: "It's is not just a transport service, it is a lifeline and an essential social meeting place.

"You get to know the other passengers – you become great friends and you support each other."

The buses are run jointly by Wessex Cancer Support and local NHS trusts in Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.

A joint statement said the Southampton Daisy Bus had "provided vital transport for cancer patients from Jersey, and some patients from the Isle of Wight, travelling to UHS for cancer treatment".

"This service has provided valued support to many patients but is not an NHS-funded service," it added.

It added that support for travelling patients remained available through NHS schemes for those who met eligibility criteria.

They include the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) and access to Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS).