You will remember March 17, just less than a Month ago.
Everybody celebrating the new contract awarded by the Manx Health Service for the onward transfer of Isle o Man patients back on the mainland.
http://acnedriver.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/liverpool-comcab-new-taxi-provider-for.html
Well it seems it is not going to well.
----------------------
Isle o Man Today.
There’s been a mixed response to the new-look patient transfer taxi service in Liverpool.
And Health and Social Care Minister Kate Beecroft says feedback will be taken on board.
ComCab took over the contract from Bridgewater Taxis last month, in a move that will save the taxpayer £33,000 a year.
But some patients using the service are not impressed.
They have posted comments on a Facebook group which has been set up with the aim of forwarding feedback to the Department of Health and Social Care.
The main complaints have been about comfort, with some passengers saying they have had to sit facing backwards on folding seats in the black cabs used by ComCab - in contrast to the minibuses used by Bridgewater.
One poster said a ComCab driver refused to drop her and her husband outside the airport as he didn’t want to pay the £2.50 charge.
She said: ’We had to walk back up to the airport (glad it wasn’t raining) and my husband had to stop several times to rest before we reached the airport. Very bad service and I would have rather paid the £2.50 myself if I’d realised this was the new deal/contract with ComCab than expect an unwell person to walk back up to the airport.
’Not impressed with ComCab, bring back Bridgewater.’
Another passenger said: ’The drawback with the new company is that they use black taxi cabs and as we were the last collection we had to sit on the drop down seats.
’I find it difficult to travel backwards it leaves me feeling sick and also did nothing to ease my pain as I was practically sitting doubled over; at least with Bridgewater they had comfortable 7 seaters for you to travel in.’
One patient posted: ’A typical taxi ride in my opinion, get there as fast as possible, with little concern for the cargo.’
Another said: ’My husband has had major surgery and cannot walk as yet. But coming back to the airport, it would be so helpful if they went carefully over the traffic humps.’
Site administrator Carole Male said: ’Perhaps there will be no cost savings at the end and of all this chaos, which is affecting our sick patients and it will be for nothing.’
But it’s not all criticism. One patient posted: ’I had no problems whatsoever.
’Came out of hospital at 3.10 [booked for 3.30] and the cab was already there. Waved and called me over as he recognised me from earlier. Very chatty and friendly. Cab was a brand new minibus-style taxi with plenty of room. No problems at all.’
Mrs Beecroft said teething problems were inevitable when a service changes hands, particularly when there is a short timescale for that change-over.
She said: ‘ComCab is fully engaged in the process and appreciates the feedback from the department and directly from patients themselves.’
One area of improvement already identified is the need for the DHSC to provide ComCab with more detailed information on patients’ individual needs so that the most appropriate type of vehicle can be deployed.
These include vehicles with ramps for wheelchairs, six seater vehicles for people with mobility problems, and taxis with a swivel seat which rotates to allow people with disabilities or mobility problems to get in and out.
A patient information leaflet is being updated to ask patients to contact the DHSC with any specific requirements they have.
Mrs Beecroft added: ‘I have said before that Bridgewater provided an exemplary service, but they too used hackney cabs and mini-buses as well as saloon cars.
‘No single vehicle will meet the diverse needs of all of our patients which is why we encourage patients to let us know their specific requirements.’
Any patient or their escort wishing to provide written feedback about the patient transfer service can email dhsc@gov.im
No comments:
Post a Comment