WHIPPS CROSS: Sick patients 'to endure traffic jams during Olympics' (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WHIPPS CROSS: Sick patients 'to endure traffic jams during Olympics'

3:16pm Tuesday 21st February 2012 in Waltham Forest News By Joe Curtis

SICK patients will be left sitting in traffic jams en route to hospital while Olympics sponsors speed past in virtually empty lanes this summer, it has been claimed.

Around 4,000 patient journeys to Whipps Cross Hospital could be disrupted after Games organisers refused to allow a patient transport service access to its VIP lanes along the Olympic Route Network.

Medical Services, which transports sick and vulnerable patients to hospital appointments at Whipps, said it feared the consequences of not being able to use the reserved lanes, 109 miles of road reserved for athletes, Games officials and sponsors between July and August.

Leah Bevington, head of communication at Medical Services, told the Guardian: “It’s really disappointing because it means that ill, often elderly patients will be sat in traffic jams for hours.

“They could get upset and anxious about things but that’s not been taken into account by organisers. It’s crazy that they aren’t willing to help them.

“It’s not just the patients on board either: their lateness means the whole efficiency of the hospital is disrupted.”

Ambulances will be able to use the reserved lanes when they have their blue lights on and Transport for London’s Dial a Ride service for disabled people has permission to use bus lanes across London.

But Ms Bevington criticised this because, she said, Medical Services vehicles are the same size as the Dial a Ride buses, but have had some seats removed to make space for wheelchair access.

This means that TfL and the London Olympic Organising Committee (Locog) rejected their attempt to qualify for use of bus lanes.

Chair of Whipps Cross Patients Panel, Colin Anderson, added: “I’m alarmed with the way they’re going to shut these lanes off from people who have a valid reason to use them.

“It’s very important that patients reach their appointments on time but I’m concerned that they won’t be able to. What about patients’ welfare?”

A Locog spokesman said: “Sponsors, like athletes and media, will be travelling in buses so having them on the Olympic route network and, in Olympic lanes where applicable, means we can monitor their movements and reduce any disruption to the rest of London traffic.

"If we find there are sustained periods of no traffic on Olympic lanes then TfL is working on a solution which can effectively turn a lane off, this has already been explained by the Mayor of London.”

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