Brylaine steps in with new service for Spalding hospital
People going to Spalding's Johnson Community Hospital can now get there by bus thanks to a new service launched today by Brylaine.
The bus company has also changed the routes of its Spalding town services, the IT1 and IT2, so former patients of Pennygate Health Centre can get to the hospital with two short bus journeys.
District and county councillor Angela Newton, who has long campaigned for the restoration of a hospital bus service, began urgent talks with the county council and the bus operator as soon as it became clear Pennygate Health Centre patients would be switched to the hospital.
Brylaine development director Marrianne Garbutt said: "We are really pleased to announce that Brylaine's B13 Boston - Spalding will be re-routed to serve the Johnson Hospital on specific inbound and outbound journeys.
"This means that Johnson Hospital will be served by up to 21 buses a day from Monday-Saturday. This will not only support the patient undertaking the relocation of the Pennygate surgery, but also for visitors and patients alike from Spalding and all the way along the B13 route.
"We would like to thank Lincolnshire County Council for their support and a special thanks to Coun Angela Newton and Coun Elizabeth Sneath for making it possible, by arranging for signage to reduce the speed of traffic over Vernatts Bridge.
"With this in mind, can we ask all road users to please take care on their approach to Johnsons Hospital?
"Buses by their design have a slower rate of acceleration and exiting the site will be made safer if people reduce their speed below the current 30mph limit."
Coun Newton and Coun Sneath have worked together for a number of years to restore a bus service to the hospital.
Coun Newton praised Brylaine's Marrianne Garbutt and county council officers Anita Ruffle and Paul Sanders, and the council for its subsidy.
But Coun Newton wants South Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group to foot the bill for a £5,100 shortfall, saying it was they who "caused all these problems at such short notice".
Patients going to the hospital can catch the B13 at the bus station at: 9am, 10am, 11am, 12noon, 1pm, 2pm, 2.50pm, 4pm, 5pm, 6pm and 7pm.
The service leaves the hospital for the bus station at: 9.41am, 10.41am, 11.41am, 12.41pm, 1.41pm, 2.41pm, 3.26pm, 4.41pm, 5.41pm and 6.41pm.
IT buses pick up in Pennygate at 7.53am, 9.13am, 10.43am, 12.13pm, 1.43pm, 3.13pm and 4.43pm while return journeys from the bus station are at: 9.45am, 11.15am, 12.45pm, 2.15pm, 3.45pm and 5.15pm.