On Wednesday 6th March Carol and Barry took a bus trip from Lewisham Hospital to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Woolwich to evaluate TSA Matthew Kershaw’s journey time analysis and more importantly to assess the difficulties for the elderly, disabled, pregnant mothers and all sick people going for medical treatment out of borough.
What is clear is, as Carol points out on the video, that by using the travel time statistic measured across South East London, the TSA and Department of Health says that the trip would only be ‘2 -3 minutes longer for people in South East London by private car or public transport’. What they don’t say is even by their own figures, the travel time for Lewisham is several times higher. See here for data collated from TSA report.
And, as Carol and Barry’s bus trip shows, added to that made by Simone in January, the journey time – when you include waiting for 2 or in some cases, 3 buses, plus the walks in between and at the end – is much much longer.
The injustice of this of course is that they want to close down a high-performing hospital in order to send people so much further.
March 13 Mercury Journey time to hospital a ‘joke’
March 12 South London Press ‘Journey time is a joke and I proved it’
Video Olivia O’Sullivan
Jan 23 2013 Simone’s journey to Woolwich hospital Video by Abi Moore
This is a fantastic idea! Would love to join you – but busy tomorrow and worried how long it will take in the traffic… keep up the amazing work.
If no supply job tomorrow I’ll be there.
Great video. Thanks for doing this. it makes me so angry at the lies being told by the government that it only takes a few more minutes to get from Lewisham to Woolwich. It took nearly two hours! Imagine how it would be if you felt unwell and had to make this journey! Many people in Lewisham arrive at A+E by public transport as there are such good bus links. If the A+E is downgraded and people have to go to QEH Woolwich, a lot more people will call an ambulance rather than make the journey by public transport. Or as Barry said, just take the overground to Whitechapel or go to Kings or St Thomas’s – all easier to get to than QEH.
They are telling the same lies in SW London,where they admit to extra 8 mins. Hours longer I’m sure. We should do the same as you have and film it. @save_st_Helier.
People will have to travel from Epsom through Sutton, Morden, South Wimbledon, Mitcham, Tooting.
Awful journey when fit and well, add rush hour and its a nightmare.
Parking impossible now, add 2 extra A&E Dept’s chaos.
Exhobitant charges too.
No calculation or budget for extra ambulance/man hours for extra journey time BOTH ways.