Hospital transport for dialysis patients takes longer than public transport, a poll has revealed.
An NHS Information Centre report, today revealed that hospital transport services for many kidney patients is below par.
A survey of 12,000 patients in England, Wales and Northern Ireland found that many faced long delays getting to and from their dialysis unit.
Of those surveyed in England, only 61% said the service they were offered met their needs, and in all three countries 42% of patients said they had a journey time in excess of 30 minutes, and yet only a quarter of patients reported their journey taking this long if they used public or private transport.
Moreover, in England and Wales, around one in four patients had to wait longer than 30 minutes for hospital-provided transport to arrive. In Northern Ireland, the figure was one in eight.
The delays continued after treatment too, with 37% of patients having to wait more than 30 minutes to start their journey home using hospital transport, as against just 16% of patients who used public or private transport.
When questioned, only half of hospital managers reported having a system in place to monitor the quality of transport for which they are responsible.
The report authors said arrangements for kidney patient transport should be clear and transparent and that transport should be an important factor in deciding the location of new dialysis units.
Dr Donal O'Donoghue, national clinical director for Kidney Care, called for improvement in this aspecct of care to be made a priority.