Patients rate Great Western Ambulance Service 'satisfactory'

Patients have rated the Great Western Ambulance Service's (GWAS) non-emergency transport scheme as "satisfactory".

More than 200 patients took part in the survey, with 54% saying they relied on the service and 98% rating it as satisfactory or better.

Some patients criticised waiting times for return journeys, with 14 out of 201 having to wait more than two hours.

GWAS said: "Overall the responses show we are providing a very good service."

The service transports patients from Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and the greater Bristol area to appointments at various hospitals.

Emergency service

The survey involved 229 patients, with 54% saying they could not attend appointments without the service for various reasons, 29 patients using it for medical problems, 124 for mobility and one because of poor public transport.

But the survey also revealed that 61% of patients were not contacted by the ambulance service on the day of transport to confirm what time it would pick them up and more than half of patients were unaware of the time they would be taken home.

Waiting times could also be long, with 26 out of 201 people waiting between one and two hours and 14 people waiting more than two hours for their return journeys.