New patient transport service hub officially opens in Dunstable

A new hub for a patient transport service (PTS) has been officially opened in Dunstable – offering vulnerable patients access to hospitals and GP surgeries.

The new site has been in use by the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) since September, and was officially unveiled on Friday (February 2).

EEAST’s CEO Tom Abell and MP Andrew Selous joined by EEAST Chair Mrunal Sisodia OBE and Felicity Cox, CEO of Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (ICB), to celebrate the move. Tom Abell thanked those who helped secure the base, and said: “This is a vital service which we provide across Bedfordshire to keep our most vulnerable patients well and support hospital discharges.”

The service gives transport for non-emergency pre-planned appointments, or inpatient transfers and discharges for patients who cannot travel due to mobility issues or medical conditions. The site on London Road was a former car showroom before being transformed into a long-term hub to house PTS staff and vehicles.

Andrew Selous, MP for South West Bedfordshire, said: “It was wonderful to see the ambulance staff so pleased with their new facilities and I hope we can publicise more widely the fantastic service provided by the patient transport service, which some people do not realise is available to them.”

Felicity Cox, Chief Executive of Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB, said: “EEAST’s Patient Transport Services provide a valuable service to local people, ensuring they can attend important hospital appointments and transferring patients between sites, so we can keep our hospital services moving.”