The East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust has made a decision to withdraw the free shuttle bus service connecting Burnley General Hospital, Royal Blackburn Hospital, and Pendle Community Hospital on 31 March 2025.

This service was introduced when vital healthcare services, including the A&E department, were transferred from Burnley General to Royal Blackburn Hospital in 2007. Over the years, additional services, including mental health inpatient care and other outpatient care have also been centralised in Blackburn, leaving Burnley and Pendle residents increasingly reliant on this shuttle service for access to essential healthcare.

Ending this service will:

 • Make healthcare harder to access for vulnerable individuals, including patients, NHS staff, visitors, and healthcare students on placements.

 • Create financial hardship for those without private transport, with return taxi journeys costing up to £40.

 • Lead to missed appointments, delayed care, and strain on alternative transport services.

 • Increase car journeys, aggravate parking problems, traffic congestion, and carbon emissions.

We demand East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust to:

 1. Immediately reverse this decision and conduct a comprehensive consultation with residents, patients, staff, and students.

 2. Explore alternative funding solutions, including subsidies, partnerships, or a small fare structure to sustain the service.

 3. Write to the government to seek dedicated funding to continue this essential service.

This service has operated successfully for over 15 years, serving as a critical link between hospitals. Removing it would harm the health, well-being, and environmental goals of our community.

Please sign and share this petition to show your support for keeping this vital service running before it is too late. 

For information on the campaign please get in touch with;

County Cllr Usman Arif
Usman.Arif@lancashire.gov.uk
07951 550223

County Cllr Azhar Ali OBE
Azhar.Ali@lancashire.gov.uk
07734 384602

County Cllr Mohammed Iqbal MBE
Mohammed.Iqbal@lancashire.gov.uk
07974 412218