A PIONEERING health transport service is being piloted in Ealing this year.

It aims to reduce the number of missed appointments, saving valuable NHS resources and promoting an integrated approach to care.

The PlusBus for Health is a joint project between Ealing Community Transport and Ealing Clinical Commissioning Group (ECCG), to provide transport to and from GP surgeries in Ealing.

Launched in November 2014, the service aims to reduce the number of GP house calls and no-shows at surgeries, and simultaneously improve the well-being of patients by providing the opportunity to leave their homes and increase social contact.

Since its launch, PlusBus for Health has made hundreds of journeys and its popularity has grown rapidly, tripling passenger numbers in the last three months.

Having started with five surgeries back in November, PlusBus for Health is now working with 29 in the Ealing area.

Figures from NHS England suggest that more than 12 million GP appointments are missed each year in the UK, costing in excess of £162m per year.

A further 6.9 million outpatient hospital appointments are missed, costing an average of £108 per appointment in 2012-13.

In Ealing, transport is already provided for vulnerable people to attend hospital appointments. However, the ECCG was keen to tackle the issue of missed GP appointments among the elderly.

Dr Beena Gohil, a doctor at Oldfield Family Practice, one of the surgeries involved in the pilot, said: “Elderly people often avoid coming to their GP because they are not able to walk or don’t want to pay for their taxi.

“This means that patients will sometimes wait until it is an emergency before calling or they will miss their appointment. They end up being admitted to hospital, at a higher cost to the NHS.“

Lucy Sparrow, 87, a PlusBus for Health user, who has to visit her doctor once a fortnight, said: “I only live down the road, but without the service I would not be able to get to the surgery because my legs are too painful. The service is so important for people like me.

“The drivers help you get on and off the bus in your own time. You never feel rushed.

“They meet me at my door and they are always on time, which removes the worry of missing an appointment. One driver took me to the surgery and waited outside.

“I asked her to take me to the chemist afterwards so I could pick up my tablets and she did. Everyone is very obliging – I have got nothing but praise for them.”