Official opening for new patient transport service base in Dunstable

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) has officially opened its new Patient Transport Service base in Dunstable.

The new site on London Road, which has been in use since October, was welcomed by EEAST's CEO Tom Abell and local MP Andrew Selous in an event on Friday (2nd February). They were joined by EEAST Chair Mrunal Sisodia OBE and Felicity Cox, CEO of Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board.

EEAST's Patient Transport Service (PTS) provides transport for non-emergency pre-planned appointments, or inpatient transfers or discharges, for patients who are not able to travel by other means due to mobility issues or medical conditions.

EEAST CEO Tom Abell said: "I was delighted to be joined by Andrew Selous MP and colleagues to officially open the new PTS site in Dunstable. This is a vital service which we provide across Bedfordshire to keep our most vulnerable patients well and support hospital discharges.

"The new site provides better facilities which will benefit staff and patients alike, and I want to thank everyone involved in securing the new base."

The site is a former car showroom which has been secured by EEAST on a long-term basis to accommodate PTS staff and vehicles. The service was formerly temporarily based out of council offices in the area.

The new permanent base will accomodate approximately 50 staff, and is a significant improvement on previous bases, with more space for PTS vehicles and staff wellbeing.

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 Integrated Care Board, 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. I was delighted to see the new base in Dunstable, and the welfare facilities in place to support staff. A great base to serve people in south Bedfordshire."

To find out if you're eligible for PTS and how to access it, you can speak to your GP or the healthcare professional who referred you to hospital.