Disability Voices Phase 2 report: transport and access to healthcare for disabled people in Lancashire

Healthwatch Lancashire wanted to explore transport to healthcare services for disabled people in greater depth as it came up as an issue in their previous report on the experiences of disabled people accessing and using healthcare services. They spoke to 303 people.

Poor public transport, particularly in rural areas, combined with the high cost of private travel and the shortage of accessible parking space, creates serious barriers to accessing care.

For many people, free or reduced-cost transport provided by Lancashire Community Transport fills a vital gap, while NHS Non-Emergency Patient Transport can be a genuine lifeline. Most of the people Healthwatch heard from were overwhelmingly positive about their experiences using these services. 

However, problems remain. Availability is often limited, and long waiting times for collection can cause additional stress and discomfort. Moreover, many disabled people are unaware that such services exist or assume they are not eligible to use them. 

There is no simple fix for these challenges, reflecting wider national issues. However, one clear and addressable problem is how patients are frequently referred to multiple services far from their homes, leading to unnecessarily long, difficult and expensive journeys. What is needed is an approach to care which prioritises access to services rooted within local communities.