Coronavirus: Shropshire’s buses help transport people to county’s assessment centres

Shropshire Council’s passenger transport team is working with the county’s main health bodies to help people get to the coronavirus assessment centres in Shrewsbury and Telford.

The council has been working with the Shropshire CCG and Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) to provide transport for people with COVID-19 symptoms who need to attend the assessment centres at Shrewsbury Town Football Club and Telford International Centre but have no alternative transport.

A booking system has been developed which will see the 50 medical practices that use the Shrewsbury assessment centre contacting the council’s passenger transport staff, who will then deploy the appropriate vehicle.

Bespoke vehicles are being sourced from local companies, and are being leased on behalf of the CCG. The service is following protocols created in conjunction with Infection Control at SaTH.

Meanwhile, Shropshire Council has also been in discussions with the CCG about the deployment of specialist vehicles that can take clinical staff to potential COVID-19 patients for assessment, rather than transporting them to the assessment centres. These vehicles will enable the clinical staff to safely dispose of PPE within secure compartments within the vehicle, which has the addition of a separate bulkhead to ensure the risk of infection to the driver is minimal.

Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said:

“It’s vitally important that people with COVID-19 symptons are able to get assessed as quickly as possible, and I’m really pleased that we can make use of our vacant buses to enable people without transport to access the county’s two coronavirus assessment centres.

“We’ve been working really closely with our colleagues at CCG and SaTH. Our discussions have been really positive and constructive and their support has enabled us to quickly put this service into practice. I’d like to thank the council’s passenger transport staff, and staff at the CCG and SaTH for their help in making this service possible.”

To assist in the creation of the Shrewsbury COVID-19 assessment centre, buses were also used to collect a number of items from local medical practices and schools which were required at the site.

And Shropshire Council recently used some of its fleet of vehicles to collect a large supply of urgent PPE from Birmingham City Council which will be utilised within Shropshire. The assessment centre is strictly appointment-only, for patients who have been directed there by their GP practice.