Villages get vital hospital link

The hospital bus service will run once a day

Patients in outlying areas of Teasdale are being offered a vital transport link to their main hospital.

A new bus service is being introduced between villages and the nearest hospital in Bishop Auckland.

The new once-a-week Bishop Auckland Hospital access bus, for pre-booked passengers, begins operating on 10 March.

It is aimed at people who have mobility problems or who have difficulty in using traditional public transport.

As well as taking travellers directly to the hospital entrance, the new evening service will also call at a local supermarket.

It will pick up pre-booked passengers from their door in Cockfield, Evenwood, Highlands, Butterknowle, Woodland and Copley at about 1800 GMT and leave Morrisons at 2000 GMT and the hospital at 2015 GMT.

The service is being paid for by health trusts in the county and Durham County Council as part of a programme to improve transport links to health facilities.

Bob Pendlebury, cabinet member for transport with Durham County Council, said: "The bus will be a low floor, fully accessible vehicle which will help make life easier for people with mobility difficulties visiting Bishop Auckland Hospital."

Passengers will have to register to be able to use the bus and a small fee will also be levied.