LEADER of Wiltshire Council Jane Scott has told users of the RUH Hopper bus that they “shouldn’t have worried in the first place”, after a petition to stop the service being axed was presented to the council.

The petition, which was signed by more than 2,500 people, was handed in at the council’s Health and Wellbeing Board on Wednesday, after being launched by Independent Councillors Terry Chivers and Jeff and Helen Osborn.

It was started after the council announced earlier this year that it would be cutting £130,000 from its budget to fund it, causing upset and outrage among the elderly users of the service.

The bus, also known as Connect 2, transports residents from North and West Wiltshire to the Royal United Hospital in Bath and is mainly used by those who rely on it to get to hospital appointments.

“Users and future users are horrified at the potential of this vital service,” said chairman of the Trowbridge Area Community Link Doug Ross at the meeting.

“The current service has been a real life saver for many of the current users and they, like us, cannot see any realistic or more cost effective alternative to the current Hopper Service.

“The government in its election strategy and rhetoric has time and again stressed its increasing financial commitment to the health service.

“Here is an early opportunity to puts its money where its mouth has been. Wiltshire patients and current users of the service will be eternally grateful if health service funding can be found for what is recognised as services for health in Wiltshire.”

Following Mr Ross’ address to the Health and Wellbeing committee, Cllr Scott attempted to assure residents that the council was working with the Wiltshire CCG and RUH to find a solution.

“We were never going to cut the service without finding some sort of alternative – that was always what Wiltshire Council said,” said Cllr Scott.

“We have been working closely with the CCG and the RUH to find a solution. We are very close to that solution and we have had important meetings in the last week to find which budgets we can get to help support this service.

“I don’t want anybody to worry about it; they shouldn’t have worried in the first place. I think there was too much worry and there is no need to worry as we will find a solution.”

She also said that the council was discussing other matters with the RUH, including making appointments more flexible and looking at the quality of similar services across the county.

Cllr Scott added: “I thank you for actually starting this conversation, as if people like you don’t come and chase the public services then we probably wouldn’t have done so much work as we are going to do.”

After the meeting, users of the service said they were cautiously optimistic, but Cllr Osborn said no one will be satisfied until they get confirmation that the current service will continue.

He said: “They expressed concern about the anxiety it is causing, but people won’t stop worrying until they come up with a solution. It was a bit rich of Jane to say there was no need for anyone to worry.”

Service user Diana Jones, who lives in Trowbridge, said: “It sounded good, but it is very much pie in the sky and there are lots of people like me who desperately need this service to continue.”