The daughter of an elderly Alzheimer’s sufferer is so worried about the revised patient transfer system, she is threatening to push her mother home in a wheelchair to publicise the problem.

Zoe McAndry’s 82-year-old mother, Pete Morgan, is due to go into respite care soon but so far no arrangements are in place to get her home again to Derbyhaven at the end of her stay.

’We have an offer of respite care up in Ramsey and over the past three years she has been transported there and back by the Red Cross,’ Mrs McAndry said.

’But the Red Cross has lost the transportation deal and it has gone to the buses so we now have to book our transport through the GP practice.’

But Mrs McAndry said so far they had met with no success in booking transport. She added she was so worried by the situation she was tempted to walk home with her mother in a wheelchair to draw attention to the system’s failings.

’We can get her up there next week, but we can’t get her back and it’s too far for my dad to drive up there and back.

’I think it is particularly important because these people are elderly and they don’t have a voice,’ she said.

’First it was meals on wheels and now it’s the poor Red Cross, who were wonderful and kind and trained to do the job.’

Mrs McAndry said when her mother’s GP practice manager had tried to make a patient transfer booking, this had proved impossible.

’We needed return transport in early July but they just said they had nothing in place yet.

’What is very important is that these people need to have some medical training. My mother needs a hoist to lift her and she needs to be upright so it’s important that people know what is needed.’

Mrs McAndry said she was keen not to criticise the new service before it had even started but was anxious for some reassurance.

’I spoke to the people at Bus Vannin, who were really lovely and helpful. I’m told they take over the service on July 1 but some of the fine details are not quite worked out yet,’ she said.

A statement from the Department of Health and Social care said the new service from Bus Vannin was designed to be more flexible and save patients’ waiting time. It said the minibuses had tail lifts and staff were trained in first aid and moving and handling frail and ill patients. The new service will also transport renal patients for dialysis.

DHSC Minister David Ashford MHK said: ’The Red Cross has done an excellent job over the past decade, and our decision to award the contract to Bus Vannin doesn’t reflect any dissatisfaction.

’But I see a really positive opportunity to tap into the minibus service which Bus Vannin already operates and integrate these journeys between home and our hospitals.

He added that driver training training had been a priority and patients shouldn’t see any change in the way they are met and helped by staff when the new contract begins on July 1.

Mrs McAndry said: ’Respite care does really mean a lot to us and the patient transfer is a valuable service for my mother that we just couldn’t do without.’