CAMPAIGNERS for the Hopper bus lobbied representatives from the Clinical Commissioning Group and Royal United Hospital Trust last week by presenting them with their latest petition.

Councillors Jeff and Helen Osborn along with Cllr Terry Chivers initiated a relaunched petition in March after it was announced by Wiltshire Council that they could no longer afford the £150,000 a year service which transports patients to the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

Since then, cabinet member for highways and transport, Philip Whitehead has said despite Wiltshire Council not being able to solely fund the service, they would hope the RUH Trust and CCG would match fund to keep it running.

After gathering nearly 5,000 signatures overall, a group of supporters presented the petition to the Health and Wellbeing Board at County Hall last week.

Cllr Jeff Osborn said: “The main thing is that the NHS really have to put their hands into their pockets.

“We had a reasonable reception from them but I think we just have to keep at it. They have acknowledged that it is essential that people go to hospital so I think a lot of positives came from it but we still have a way to go.”

Among the campaigners who turned out in force was Arthur Lunn, 75 from North Bradley along with his wife Sheila, 72 who uses the service for cataract treatment.

Mr Lunn said: “My wife has been to the hospital quite a few times recently and one of the appointments she had to be there early so they picked us up from our door and dropped us right outside the hospital.

“If you are relying on transport then it is a lifeline otherwise you would have to get a minimum of two buses.

“We have to go two or three times every couple of months and so we are nervous if they cut it altogether.”

Funding for the future of the service has been secured through the Better Care Fund until the end of March 2016 with Poulshot villager Malcolm Nixon, 79 believing it should be continued after this time.

He said: “I thought I would come here to show my support because I do have concerns about it being cut. In the last 18 months, I must have used the Hopper between 80 or 90 times despite me having a car. If you try to go to the RUH and park, especially with the new system it is really difficult and so I think it is just wonderful so I would be disappointed if it didn’t continue.”

The Hopper currently provides a door-to-door service to and from the hospital every hour on Monday to Fridays between 7.20am-5.30pm.