Travelling cancer patients to benefit from new minibus

Sunday 28 May 2017

Nearly 200 local cancer patients who travel to Southampton each year for treatment will now be able to benefit from a brand new minibus to transport them between their accommodation and the hospital.

Over 2,000 passenger journeys are made every year by Channel Islands patients, who will now undertake them in a new vehicle thanks to the Wessex Cancer Trust and Jersey Cancer Trust.

The transport service has been running since 2003, but a donation from the Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands will help them continue the important service throughout 2017 and 2018 in stress-free comfort.

Heather, a current patient using the service, described it as a “huge help”.

“Without this service I would be spending large amounts of money on taxis and public buses. Using this transport means I don’t have to worry about how I will be getting back to my accommodation, as I know a friendly minibus driver will be there hourly,” she said.

Wessex Cancer Trust CEO Cait Allen praised the Lloyds Bank Foundation and the Jersey Cancer Trust for their support in making the new minivan and the continued running of the transport service possible:

“We are committed to supporting all Wessex cancer patients, including those that visit Southampton from the Channel Islands. As well as the bus service, many Channel Island patients attend our drop-in centres and take alternative therapies. Trusts like the Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands and Jersey Cancer Trust are absolutely vital to the running of this service, and we really value their support.”

Jo Le Poidevin, Executive Director, Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands, added:

“We are pleased to support the Wessex Cancer Trust with their initiative in transporting local cancer patients from both Jersey and Guernsey visiting Southampton. This is a vital service and one that is overlooked as a necessary cost to islanders who receive treatment off island. It takes the stress off the patients of trying to arrange individual transport and therefore allows them to focus on what’s really important; their health. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting Channel Islanders who experience any form of financial strain, whether it be on or off the islands.”