The significant impact of transport on the work of VCS health providers is to be uncovered in a new study to be undertaken by the Transport Resource Unit. It is hoped that the findings from the research will shed more light on the added value of community transport and the need for transport to be considered for funding among other health and wellbeing services.

Some organisations provide their own transport, others rely on community transport providers or conventional public transport, but either way, without viable transport options, vulnerable service users are unable to access much needed services. It is generally acknowledged that ‘demand responsive transport’ solutions such as community transport, Ring and Ride and volunteer driver schemes offer a great deal of added value and themselves contribute towards health outcomes. Nevertheless, transport provision is not typically considered a health intervention by funders and therefore VCS health providers face obstacles in trying to fund transport.

Therefore the Transport Resource Unit proposes to conduct a small study exploring the following questions:

• How does health itself impact on the transport choices that people make?
• What is the ‘added value’ that demand responsive transport, community transport and volunteer drivers provide?
• Can transport be considered a health intervention in its own right?
• What distinguishes community transport and Ring and Ride services from commercial demand-responsive transport (e.g. taxis)?
• How do transport issues impact on the work of VCS health providers? How have VCS health providers tried to address some of these issues and what are the obstacles they face in doing so?

We are keen to speak to VCS health providers who may have experience of some of these issues, particularly if:

• The transport issues are still unresolved
• The issues have been solved using ties with community transport providers
• The issues have been solved by the organisation setting up its own transport scheme

The findings will be written up in a report to be disseminated to the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority and the Greater Manchester Public Health Network.

If you feel you can help, please get in touch with Melanie Jeffs, Transport Resource Unit Development Officer on 0161 277 1014 or melanie.jeffs@gmcvo.org.uk .