A HAXBY woman who faced losing free transport to and from York Hospital for dialysis treatment has been given a reprieve until the New Year.

Andrea Hansell, 48, of Netherwindings, who is a kidney patient at the hospital, was told she would no longer receive NHS-funded transport, organised by Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS), after Friday, October 12.

However, the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which commissions YAS to provide the Patient Transport Service, has contacted her to say she will continue to receive transport until January 13 while a review takes place.

Mrs Hansell needs treatment three times a week at the hospital for chronic renal failure.

The Press reported earlier that following an assessment, YAS had informed Mrs Hansell she no longer met the criteria to continue receiving free transport - a decision she described as a death sentence.

After learning about the review, Mrs Hansell said: “It is a huge relief. It gets this Christmas period out of the way and gives me some breathing room. The battle is won, but not the war. I hope to meet with the CCG to discuss the process of assessing kidney patients for free transport.”

Mrs Hansell said she needs the transport as she does not drive and has no-one who can take her to appointments, which require her to be at York Hospital by 7am.

She also said she was unable to afford the cost of a taxi to and from the hospital each time as she receives benefits and has a limited income.

A Vale of York CCG spokesman said: “The CCG does not comment on individual patients or their circumstances. The CCG can confirm it had long-standing plans to review all patient transport queries and appeals as part of the implementation of the new contract to ensure the new process for assessing eligibility provides a consistent and fair assessment against the criteria. This review is now under way and all previously-agreed patient transport services will continue during this period.”