NHS Volunteers Hit By Rising Fuel Costs

12.33.35pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 14th Jul 2008

NHS Volunteers Protest Against Rising Fuel Costs

The rising cost of fuel is hitting many people hard but one important

local group is facing a particularly difficult challenge.

The NHS has a long history of utilising volunteers to ferry patients to and from hospitals, GP surgeries and day centres. All of these services are now under threat due to the skyrocketing cost of fuel.

Sally Morgan, Liberal Democrat parliamentary campaigner said: "I was

recently contacted by a volunteer driver who told me that despite the price of fuel

going up sharply over the last few months they are still entitled to only 20

pence per mile. The rising cost at the pump has meant that many of the

drivers are now actually losing money. Though they provide this service gladly and

do not expect to make a profit it is becoming harder and harder for some to

continue."

Sally added: "I shall be writing to the local NHS Trusts asking that they

re-evaluate their fuel payments to ensure the valuable and much used service

provided by volunteers does not crack under the strain. Apparently some nurses and other staff have recently had an increase in their tax free mileage rate from 40p to 44p to compensate for the rising cost of fuel, so it is only fair that the volunteer drivers receive the same amount.

If these volunteers begin to drop out because they can no longer afford it would have a catastrophic impact on our local NHS services . Not least as it would mean an increased use of our already hard-pressed ambulance service. I will be urging all the NHS Trusts who serve Devon and the surrounding area to look again at the current volunteer driver fuel allowance before it is too late."

Cllr Morgan is the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Central

Devon. She is also the Executive Support Member for Adult and Community

Services on Devon County Council with responsibility for Social Affairs and Health.