FRUSTRATED: Alan Porter.
A WOMBWELL man who has his cancer treatment at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield said it was devastating to hear the ‘bombshell’ news that he no longer qualified for travel to and from the hospital.
Alan Parker, 55, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in March last year having gone to Barnsley Hospital three times complaining about agony.
Multiple myeloma is a cancer that develops from plasma cells, a type of white blood cell found in the bone marrow.
These cancerous plasma cells accumulate in the bone marrow, crowd out healthy blood-forming cells, and produce abnormal antibodies that can lead to various complications.
Alan says the diagnosis was a shock.
He told the Chronicle: “From December 2023 to March 2024 I went to the hospital three times.
“I was told twice that I had pulled a muscle but I went back in March because I was in agony.
“I was sent for a scan and that’s when I was told that I had multiple myeloma.
“I asked them if it was curable and they said no – it can be treated but it can’t be cured.”
Alan was offered the chance for a new clinical trial at Royal Hallamshire instead of undergoing chemotherapy at Barnsley Hospital and he opted to have his treatment in Sheffield.
After a stem cell transplant Alan started his chemotherapy treatment and it had been going well, with the NHS providing him transport to and from the hospital whenever he had an appointment.
But he was dealt a devastating blow recently having been told he no longer qualifies for the free travel – and that he would instead have to make his own way there.
“The transport service has been great,” he said.
“I’d ring up and they’d either send an ambulance or book me a taxi from and to my house.
“I’ve had absolutely no problem with it until recently.
“They hit me with the bombshell that I was no longer eligible for it.
“It’s really stressful.
“I have to go to Sheffield for treatment at least once a week and on one week a month I have to go twice.”
Alan now admits he is not sure whether or not he’ll be able to continue with his treatment.
“When you have cancer, you already have a much lower life expectancy,” he added.
“I’ll have to get a bus and a train now to the hospital so that’ll be taking more time off.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen.
“My life’s been nothing but upsetting.
“This is just adding to that.”
NHS England undertook a public consultation on patient eligibility recommendations in 2021.
In implementing these changes, NHS South Yorkshire undertook involvement work in July and September 2024, and this was discussed at the Meeting of South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee in October 2024.
Dr David Crichton, chief medical officer at NHS South Yorkshire, told the Chronicle: “We are sorry to hear the impact and distress the eligibility changes to non-emergency patient transport has had on Mr Porter.
“The criteria changed to the nationally determined eligibility in South Yorkshire on April 1 2025, which mean some local patients who previously travelled to hospital using Non-Emergency Patient Transport may no longer meet the criteria.
“However, we want to ensure that local people are still able to attend hospital for treatment are able to do so and are working with local partners to support patients in accessing alternative options.”