UNISON has launched a campaign to defend bus services serving the Southampton General Hospital and Princess Anne Hospital.
There are fears that following a council subsidy cut First Bus are considering cutting services, including those serving the hospital during evenings and weekends.
With hundreds of thousands of patients visiting the sites each year and 10,000 staff working at the two hospital sites, UNISON believes that cuts to vital bus services will be a major concern to staff, patients and their families.
UNISON members have expressed concerns that the hospitals are operational 24 hours a day, with many staff required to work early morning starts, late evening finishes and weekends.
UNISON has launched a survey to examine present staff usage of bus services and has already shared an initial report with the hospital trust, Southampton City Council and the bus companies.
UNISON area organiser James Smith said: “The bus service is a vital part of the infrastructure of these vast hospital sites. With onsite parking limited and no railway station nearby, many patients and staff are reliant on a bus service that is fit for purpose. If the local bus service is not up to the task this is going to cause a real problem.
”Despite operating a public service, it is clear that shareholders and profits are the priority for privately operated bus companies. First Bus needs to engage more with current and future passengers.”
Initial findings of the survey demonstrate that staff bus users are already dissatisfied with their services. Lateness, frequency, poor routing, fare cost and scheduling not coinciding with shift patterns are some of the more common concerns raised.
