Cllr Declan Burgess is to continue to advocate for what he calls a modest increase in the local budget for Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service(NEPTS) at Tipperary University Hospital in Clonmel. The Cllr says the Department has clarified for him that restrictions were imposed on access to the service as costs had increased from €88,000 in 2019 to €127,000 in 2024.
The funds come from the Hospital’s budget and the Councillor is critical of the decision to reduce access and says it is unacceptable that the changes have been implemented without clear communication to patients or health care providers and without adequate alternative supports. Patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy will continue to avail of the service.
Cllr Burgess adds that the revised criteria now impose stricter limits, particularly affecting patients under the age of 75 and those not receiving certain treatments. The Fine Gael councillor says that this is deeply troubling, especially in a rural county like Tipperary, where public transport is limited and many older residents are reliant on such services to access essential outpatient care.
