No money to fund St John's transfer plan

Published on Wednesday 2 September 2009 09:43

PLANS to move 1,000 patients a year to St John's Hospital have hit another snag after it emerged the council will not fund additional transport.

NHS Lothian's re-zoning project would see patients in the west of Edinburgh referred to St John's Hospital in Livingston rather than the Western General.

However, the proposal was shelved earlier this year amid concerns over how 1,000 patients would be transported to West Lothian.

During a meeting between NHS Lothian bosses and the city council, it emerged the local authority would not lay on extra transport between the west of the city and Howden.

Board member Roger Knox said: "There was concern expressed about public transport from zones in Edinburgh to St John's. There would be no extra funding from Edinburgh (city council] and that will have repercussions on any decision made."

When the Evening News revealed the plans last year, critics said people who lived within a mile of the Western would have to travel significantly further to St John's.