Shuttle service is broke

Home Support North's community care shuttle, which since 2004 has given those facing major transport problems the ability to attend medical appointments in Kerikeri, Whangarei and even Auckland, will go out of business two weeks tomorrow because of a lack of funding.

That has angered the volunteer drivers, one of whom said the deficit claimed by the Kerikeri-based Home Support North Charitable Trust did not make sense. Jean Jurlina had also queried whether funding applications were divided between supporting the organisation's home care role and the shuttle service. If single applications were made, she wanted to know how the funding had been apportioned.

As of yesterday her questions had gone unanswered, although Northland and Te Tai Tokerau MPs Mike Sabin and Hone Harawira were also interested in the response. A statement which was to have been provided to the Northland Age on Monday, then Tuesday and again yesterday, had not materialised at edition time yesterday afternoon.

The Kaitaia volunteers received the news on September 4, Jill Gray, who chairs the trust, saying the trustees had agreed unanimously that, given the financial situation, the shuttle service could not continue beyond September 28. Grants totalling $235,864 had been received since the service was launched in August 2004, but costs of $454,183 had left an annual deficit of more than $27,000.

That deficit had had to be met from funding provided for the trust's core business, which was providing help and assistance in the home, while grant applications had been declined by long-standing supporters such as the ASB Trust and the LW Nelson Trust.

Mrs Jurlina said she had spoken to a number of health providers, all of whom had been appalled that the service was to finish.

"It's amazing how many people rely on the service for their patients," she said, even if they apparently never wondered where the funding came from.

She was willing to drive patients to Whangarei and Auckland voluntarily, using the patients' own vehicles, and suggesting that they claim mileage from the DHB if applicable, until the service could be reinstated, assuming that the trust would be willing to reinstate it if funding could be found.

Meanwhile she (and the Northland Age) wanted to know how many people had used the service over the last eight years, whether demand was increasing or decreasing, if there had been a change in the nature of clients needing transport, how much money would be needed to keep the service going and whether any factors other than finance had contributed to the trust's decision.

Clients, she added, had to be over the age of 65, incapable of making their own way to their destination and have no other transport option.

"These people aren't capable of using the hospital bus (that runs from Kaitaia to Whangarei and back every week day), so what they are going to do now I don't know." she said.