A year after Wightlink introduced the £70 maximum return ferry fare for Isle of Wight residents travelling to the mainland for NHS appointments, there has been an increase of more than 50% in the number of crossings made by Islanders using these discounted fares.
In 2024 so far, 18,000 single crossings have been made by Islanders with mainland NHS appointments. This compares to 12,000 single crossings in 2023.
It was last year that Wightlink held discussions with the NHS, health organisations, charities and patients to find out how the ferry company could improve its services for Islanders who need to use mainland health services. Feedback from the focus groups led to the introduction of the £70 capped return fares.
NHS patients taking a vehicle from Fishbourne or Yarmouth at any time of the year now pay no more than £35 for a single crossing. However, Wightlink’s Contact Centre staff can frequently find fares that can be up to £10 cheaper per leg through the long-established 50% discount.
Wightlink’s assisted travel line (0800 093 8236) is there for customers who would like to use the NHS discount and also supports customers with limited mobility who would like extra assistance when crossing the Solent. FastCat foot passenger fares with the 50% discount are £12.20.
Sara Howden, Head of Customer Experience at Wightlink, says:
“These discounts have been widely welcomed and more patients are travelling with us for NHS appointments. But we know we need to do more to promote this assistance. We are talking to the Island’s NHS on how we can work together to help spread the word to patients and clinicians and are distributing leaflets explaining the discounts to GP practices and at St Mary’s Hospital.
“If anyone would like to display a poster or give out Wightlink’s leaflets, please do get in touch and we will gladly provide them.”
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I wonder how many of the bookings made
are genuine NHS bookings, not persons
making bookings claiming they have appointments.
Some people will stoop to any measure to get
cheap fares.
I personally would just like to see discounted fares
for all islanders.
I thought the new MPs were looking into this,
or do they have Bobitus!
Stoop..come on ripped off all the time to get off this isle..
Islanders shouldn’t have to pay a penny to go to the mainland for treatment, this should be paid for by the NHS as they want to save money by having expensive equipment here on the island which will be well under used. I am not blaming the Island ferry companies ax they have been good in providing cheaper fares for travel for this purpose.
Very true, we pay for the NHS, it’s never been FREE
If the Island cannot provide all the NHS Services
required, then it should be FREE travel.
I must say the Hospitals in Pompey and Soton know what
they are doing.
St Mary’s Newport employ anyone
Islanders in Scotland only have to pay the first £10 of “reasonable” ferry / plane / hotel expenses if they need to visit NHS on the mainland. Nothing at all if on certain benefits. You simply keep receipts and fill in a form detailing the costs incurred and a cheque arrives a few days later. If you don’t have the upfront readies or the ability to organise the travel yourself, there’s a phone number to call and someone in the local authority will organise it all for you. It’s called the Highlands & Islands Travel Scheme.
Unlike England, Scotland does look after the
people of the country.
Well done to Scotland.
18000 single journeys….. even at £25/journey, that’s a cool £450,000 into Wightlinks account.
£25 return is too much for such a
short ferry crossing.