Patient feedback leads to better hospital transport for rural North Yorkshire

Getting to a hospital appointment isn't always straightforward. And particularly if you live in a rural part of North Yorkshire.

Perhaps there's no suitable bus. A taxi costs too much. Or you usually rely on a friend or family member for a lift, and they're not available.

These are all things people tell us about regularly.

Now, following feedback from patients, University Hospitals Tees has extended its transport service for people travelling from North Yorkshire to The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

The change comes after patients highlighted that, while a shuttle service from the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton was helping people get to James Cook, some people in rural communities were still struggling to get to the Friarage in the first place.

It's an issue that closely reflects what people have previously told Healthwatch North Yorkshire and Healthwatch York about the challenges of getting to healthcare.

What's changing?

University Hospitals Tees launched its shuttle service in July to help people living in North Yorkshire travel to appointments at James Cook or visit a relative receiving care there.

The service provides another travel option for people living in rural areas who may not qualify for free NHS patient transport, or who have a condition that makes using public transport difficult.

But there was still a problem. What if you couldn't get to the Friarage to catch the shuttle in the first place?

That's something patients raised with the hospital trust.

The service is now being extended so that eligible patients who can't get to the Friarage themselves may be offered free transport from their home to the hospital.

They can then catch the shuttle to James Cook and, after their appointment, be taken home again from the Friarage.

The trust says the change aims to remove another barrier and make it easier for people in rural communities to get to their appointments.

Could you use the service?

Not everyone will be eligible for the home pick-up service. Each request will be looked at individually by the transport team.

It may be available if you don't qualify for NHS patient transport but would otherwise struggle to get to the Friarage to use the shuttle.

This could include older people, disabled people or people with a health condition that makes using public transport difficult.

The trust says the extended service will help people living in areas including:

• Hawes
• Northallerton
• Richmond
• Bedale
• Leyburn
• Thirsk
• surrounding communities.

Not sure whether you're eligible? You can call the transport team and talk through your circumstances with them.

How much does it cost?

If you're eligible for the home pick-up service, the journey between your home and the Friarage is free.

However, the shuttle itself isn't free. There is still a £10 charge for the shuttle journey between the Friarage and James Cook.

So, if you're using the full service, you could be picked up from home and taken to the Friarage for free, pay the £10 shuttle fare to travel to and from James Cook, and then be taken home from the Friarage for free.

When does the shuttle bus run?

The shuttle leaves the Friarage for James Cook at 8.15am.

Return journeys from James Cook to the Friarage leave at:

• 3.15pm
• 5.15pm

Patients or their carers can book the service or ask about eligibility by calling the transport team on 01642 838877, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.

This number is specifically for the shuttle and home pick-up service and can't be used to book other patient transport.

What do the hospitals say?

Andy Jackson, who oversees transport operations at University Hospitals Tees, said:

"We are pleased to be extending our transport service for residents across rural North Yorkshire by offering eligible patients transport directly from their homes to connect with the shuttle service.

“While not every patient will meet the eligibility criteria for the home pick-up service, we will do everything we can to support those who need assistance getting to their appointments.

“If you have any questions about the service or would like to discuss your eligibility, please contact our team on 01642 838877 and we will be happy to help."

Why does this matter to us?

We've heard first-hand how difficult getting to healthcare can be.

Earlier this year, Healthwatch North Yorkshire and Healthwatch York heard from people about their experiences of patient transport and the wider challenges of getting to NHS appointments.

Our work initially looked at changes to eligibility for NHS patient transport. But people told us that the problems went much wider than that.

We heard about limited public transport, particularly in rural areas. People told us about long and expensive taxi journeys and having to rely on friends or family for lifts.

For some, getting to hospital involved complicated journeys and several different forms of transport. Others told us they had delayed, rearranged or missed appointments because they simply couldn't get there.

There were particular concerns about the impact on older and disabled people, people with long-term health conditions, people on lower incomes and those living in rural communities.

We published what people told us about patient transport in February 2026 and have continued to follow what NHS organisations are doing in response.

In September, we shared some of the changes that had started to happen and further work being considered to make it easier for people to get to healthcare.

This latest development is another example of why listening to people's experiences matters.

The shuttle was introduced to make it easier for people to get to James Cook. But patients pointed out an important problem: a shuttle isn't much help if you can't get to the place it leaves from.

But the good news is that patients using the service, their carers, family and friends spoke up about the remaining barrier. The hospitals listened, and the service has now been adapted.