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Bridge concessions for cancer patients

The Humber Bridge Board has announced plans to trial concessionary tolls for cancer patients who live South of the Humber Estuary to access medical treatment at the oncology department at Castle Hill Hospital, in East Yorkshire.

The Humber Bridge Credit: ITV Yorkshire

The six-month trial period, which will start on Wednesday 1st October 2014, will allow those who have no choice but to receive treatment on the north bank to be reimbursed for the Humber Bridge tolls. It will apply to those who require more than 12 separate appointments for a course of treatment.

The concessions will be made via pre-paid tickets, which will be given to patients and can be exchanged for future use of the Humber Bridge.

These will be held by the reception staff at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trusts, specifically for this trial at the oncology department in Castle Hill Hospital. They will be provided on the basis of two tickets per patient on each occasion that the patient attends for treatment.

For some time, the Board has considered introducing a concession for cancer patients, so it's great news that the trial has finally been agreed by all Directors and will commence shortly. It's something that is certainly needed and has finally been made possible by the New Humber Bridge Act which allows the Board to take this decision.

"The trial will enable us to test the management of this concession to see how feasible it is in the long-term. It will also be interesting to gather feedback from cancer patients who will benefit from this toll exemption about the positive impact it has. The scheme will be reviewed at the end of the six-month period, to see if any modifications are required."

– Cllr Chris Shaw, Humber Bridge Board chairman

This is a fantastic gesture from the Humber Bridge Board and something that we are sure our patients will welcome. Patients travel from south of the river for very complex and lengthy treatments in the Queen's Centre at castle Hill Hospital, so knowing the cost of their bridge tolls is covered will give them one less thing to worry about, and will serve as a great boost.

"We'd like to thank the Humber Bridge Board for their desire to make this happen. Some of our patients have been calling for exemption from bridge tolls for many years now, including the late Jenny Walton, who was a very strong and passionate campaigner. I'm sure many people will be delighted by this latest news."

– Dr Raj Roy, Clinical Director for the Specialist Services Division and Consultant Clinical Oncologist for Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals