MP proposes bill to improve hospital journeys for the elderly

South Lakes MP Tim Farron will step up his campaign to improve hospital journeys for older people by introducing a Presentation Bill in the House of Commons tomorrow (6th March).

The Hospital Patients (Transport) Bill calls for the Government to conduct a full-scale review of patient journey times for elderly people across the country.

Tim is supporting Age UK's 'Painful Journeys' campaign which looks to highlight the current struggles of older people travelling to hospital appointments.

Tim said: "In the South Lakes, where the number of people over the age of 60 is 10% higher than the national average, we know all too well the struggle that older people face when it comes to travelling to hospital.

"The current system for transporting people to hospitals, which is pretty much a postcode lottery at the severe detriment of the elderly in our area, is simply not fit for purpose.

"There needs to be a major re-think in how older people travel to hospital appointments and I'd like to see the Department for Health and the Department for Transport working much closer together so that the elderly no longer have to endure these painful journeys."