Our Other Activity

Our Other Activity

Work with Scottish Government on Transport to Health and Social Care

MACS took part in a Scottish Government Primary Care Team workshop to see:

4 team members stood smiling.
  • which areas of our report could be worked on
  • what the jobs of the Strategic Advisory Board should be
An older woman in a wheelchair with 2 NHS staff beside her. Behind them is an NHS hospital building.

In 2019 MACS were asked to look at Transport to Health and Social Care.

There were problems for disabled people and older people getting transport to their appointments.

A questionnaire with a hand ticking a box saying 'no'.

Disability Equality Scotland ran a poll asking if people had problems getting to medical appointments.

Nearly everyone who answered the poll said yes, they had difficulties.

An Easy Read report.

In March 2020 we held a second meeting and made a shorter report with 9 recommendations.

A group of people working together on the same document. An envelope with a NHS appointment invitation inside. An accessible minibus.
  1. Transport should be an important part of care and organisations should work together on care planning.
  2. Get information on health appointments that are missed because of transport difficulties.
  3. Transport should be designed around access to health and social care. Resources and budgets should be shared.
  4. One organisation needs to lead the planning of transport to health service.
  5. Disabled and older people should be more involved in transport to health services and design.
  6. The Support Assistance Service should look at whether patients can book transport online. The Support Assistance Service, hospitals and GPs need to have accessible information about transport.
  7. There must be enough parking and accessible parking at hospitals and other health care places.
  8. All local authorities should have an accessible transport strategy.
  9. Make it quicker to leave hospitals. And make waiting spaces nicer and easier to chat with other people.
A boss crossing her arms at her desk. A group of disabled and older people. A man sat at a table using the internet on his laptop. 2 disabled parking spaces. A plan document. An NHS waiting room with several people sitting there.

Scottish Ministers said they will:

  • look at these recommendations
  • make a plan by the end of 2021
5 people sat at a table planning together. The word 'plan' is below them.

 

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