A THREATENED hospital shuttle bus is an essential service and must be kept, councillors have warned, after worried patients said they could be facing taxi fares of up to £80 for a return trip.

The free shuttle bus was brought in between the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton and James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough after some services at the Friarage, including children’s services, were downgraded.

It is paid for by the Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby Clinical Commissioning Group in partnership with the South Tees Hospitals Trust.

But after mounting costs, a review of the service was announced. The bus is only guaranteed to continue running till the end of April.

Northallerton Town Council has now called on the authorities to keep the bus going, saying it is an essential service for the area.

Cllr Jack Dobson said he had been contacted by many worried residents.

“One lady in particular who is in her seventies and has to take her husband who is over 80 to James Cook twice a week said she would have to pay £40 each way for a taxi to get to the hospital.

“This really is a vital service, it was provided after services at the Friarage were reduced and it is needed. For this lady she could be facing costs of £160 a week, they have no car and how on earth can pensioners pay that kind of money?

“We have to put pressure on the CCG and the trust to keep this going, I understand that up to 60 per cent of the people using it are staff, I’m not sure how the CCG would want to carry this on, but it is vital that it is maintained.”

Richmond MP Rishi Sunak has been campaigning for the bus to continue, and a petition has been launched.

The CCG has said there are no updates on the future of the service at present, but in a recent statement, Chief Officer Janet Probert described the bus as a "valuable" service.

She added: “The CCG and the trust are therefore continuing to evaluate the current service and can confirm that no decision has yet been made in regards to a further extension of the current contract.

“We are and continue to be committed to engaging with our population before making any formal decision in regard to services.”