When Brentwood Community Hospital was under threat of being closed for local services, and turned into a stroke unit, one of the side issues to come up through the consultation was the difficulties older people living in Brentwood would have – and do have – in getting to any of the other hospitals in the area where standard tests and appointments are carried out.
Patients can travel to Queen’s Hospital can use two buses and/or train to travel from Brentwood or Shenfield to Romford. Buses to Basildon Hospital can take more than an hour, and I have been told it is almost impossible to travel by public transport to Orsett Hospital, where a number of my constituents are currently being referred for orthopaedic consultations.
I wrote last month to Essex County Council to find out what can be done to improve bus services to the hospitals my constituents use and was informed the Council has been meeting with Passenger Transport Representatives about the same issues. It seems there is a ‘Love Your Bus Grant Fund’ which provides Parish and Town Councils with the opportunity to secure grants of up to £50,000 for projects aimed at increasing bus patronage and enhancing local services.
The fund supports innovative projects that increase passenger numbers, improve service frequency and coverage, and attract new users through community engagement and marketing.
Essex County Council has suggested it may be beneficial for residents to collaborate with local Parish and Town Councils and the current Transport Providers to see if there are opportunities to enhance services to our local hospitals
I am very keen to support such an initiative, so if any parish or town councils in Brentwood and Ongar would like my help, please get in touch.
You can also find out more about what Essex County Council is doing with its Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) in a document catchily titled "ECC BSIP 2021 to 2026" available on TravelEssex.co.uk.
