North East Mayor responds to calls for better bus links to Cramlington hospital

In April, then-Mayor of North Tyneside Dame Norma Redfearn wrote a plea, following council approval, to Ms McGuinness to improve public transport links between North Tyneside and Cramlington’s NSECH.

In the letter, obtained via a Freedom of Information Request, Dame Norma highlighted over a quarter of households in North Tyneside do not own a car or van, forcing many to get to NSECH via “limited or in-direct” bus lines or other expensive means of transport. .

The letter goes on to state that access to cars continues to dwindle in the more deprived areas of North Tyneside. Dame Norma requested cash from the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) to be used to improve bus links to Cramlington’s NSECH.

The letter, dated April 28, reads: “Enhanced public transport connections to NSECH would support both the NHS and local communities by reducing unnecessary pressure on emergency services, supporting preventative healthcare, and promoting equity of access across the region. This will also benefit residents from across the region who work at NSECH or may choose to work there in the future, particularly those who work outside of office hours and currently face long journey times or additional costs of taxis.”

When approached for comment on the letter, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “I understand how important it is that there are good bus connections to local hospitals. Dame Norma Redfearn’s passion for residents always shines through and I agree it’s vital we have good public transport links to hospitals. I’ve asked Nexus and Northumberland County Council to consider this in any future changes to the bus network.”

Back in March, North Tyneside Council also approved a motion calling on Dame Norma to campaign and lobby NHS bosses to restore 24-hour urgent treatment services to North Tyneside General Hospital and to reopen a walk-in service in the Battle Hill area.