Evening Visitor Service Extension
A pilot bus service to help people get to and from Monklands Hospital has been extended for another three months.
The Evening Visitor Service (EVS) which picks up individuals from their home and takes them to visit family and friends in Monklands Hospital, was launched for a six month period back in February this year.
However, it has proved to be such a success that NHS Lanarkshire in partnership with Community Transport Glasgow, North Lanarkshire Community Transport and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, have extended the pilot by a further three months.
Audits of the service, which was due to end last month, show that in comparisons with similar initiatives in other parts of the country, Monklands EVS compares favourably with almost 550 journeys in the first five months alone.
Feedback from passengers was also very positive with 100 per cent of them describing the service’s punctuality as ‘excellent’ and 92 per cent describing the ease of booking as ‘excellent’.
The Monklands EVS is available to everyone in the Monklands and Cumbernauld areas – although it is particularly aimed at the elderly, people with a disability or those who do not have easy access to public transport.
NHS Lanarkshire’s Head of Management Services Graham Johnston said: “We’re delighted that we’re able to extend this pilot by a further three months.
“Having a family member or friend in hospital can be a stressful enough experience without having the added worries of how to get there.
“This extension means even more people will relieved of that worry.”
The Monklands EVS operates from 6pm to 10pm Monday to Friday.
To book a place on the bus, call 0845 128 4027 between 1pm-4pm Monday to Thursday and 1pm-3.30pm on Fridays.