The Journey to Better Healthcare Starts with Accessible Transport
Being able to access reliable and accessible transport is essential for many people across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Whether it's travelling to a hospital appointment, visiting a GP, or accessing other health and care services, transport can play a significant role in determining whether people receive the care they need.
At Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, we regularly hear from local people who experience difficulties accessing suitable transport. Through our engagement work, surveys and Partnership Boards, residents have shared concerns about a lack of accessible options, long waiting times, and the impact these barriers can have on their health, wellbeing and independence.
At the same time, we also hear positive feedback about services that are making a real difference. A local resident who regularly uses the Tiger on-demand bus service, shared:
"As someone that uses the fabulous Tiger service several times a week, I have nothing but praise for the whole Tiger team. This service is a lifeblood to those of us that don't have a regular bus service. I thank the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority for having the insight to put this, and the previous Ting service, on, and long may it continue."
Improving transport accessibility has been a key area of focus for us over the past few years. We've worked with local councils, NHS organisations and transport providers to highlight the experiences of local people, helping to establish a permanent steering group to address transport challenges across the region and ensure people's voices continue to influence future improvements.
This important issue is continuing to receive wider attention, with Mohammed Bashir from Passenger Assist Cambridgeshire recently speaking to Heart Radio Cambridgeshire about the challenges disabled, older and vulnerable people can face when accessing suitable transport, particularly for essential hospital appointments.
We're pleased to see accessible transport being discussed more widely, as raising awareness is an important step towards ensuring everyone can access the health and care services they need.
You can listen to the interview here during the local Heart radio news bulletins going out on Wednesday 1st June 2026 at 4:00pm, 5:00pm and 6:00pm: https://www.heart.co.uk/cambridge/
If you've experienced difficulties accessing health or social care because of transport, we'd like to hear from you. Your feedback helps us continue to highlight these issues and work with decision-makers to improve services across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
