BUCKLING under the pressure of transporting ever more infirm and elderly patients to hospital appointments, the town's voluntary organisation Care in Haslemere has made an urgent appeal for more drivers.

Now having to cope with the bulk of patients who used to be transported to the Royal Surrey County Hospital through the hospital car service, the chairman of Care in Haslemere said this week that the decision to scrap the service last year for all but the very infirm had put "a colossal extra burden" on the charity.

The service was reduced as part of a cost-cutting exercise but Mary Holthouse said the stricter guidelines meant that "if you had got two good legs and were not mentally ill, you must find your own way".

She said that had put extra strain on the charity. On occasions drivers had to make up to nine trips to Guildford in one day, and at least four on an average day.

"It's difficult to dovetail clients' appointments. Some patients have to be at the hospital as early as 7-45 am for day surgery and others at 9-30 am for appointments," she said.

With parking an added headache for drivers taking patients to appointments, a meeting last month at Royal Surrey at Guildford for representatives of voluntary services throughout the area had shown that the Royal Surrey was "much less user-friendly" than other hospitals in the area, over parking.

She said finding nowhere to park at the hospital when they got there "doesn't encourage volunteer drivers".

"It can take up to three hours for somebody to drive to the hospital and back because we don't just dump people on the doorstep."

She said that the charity needed at least 12 more drivers to supplement the existing volunteers.

"Although we have between 60 to 70 drivers on the books, we sometimes have to make 10 phone calls to find somebody available at that time."

She added: "We do have to occasionally say no, which leaves us feeling terribly guilty."

The service is funded by grants and donations based on the cost per mile and what users can afford. A recent £2,000 grant from West Surrey Health Authority would she said only just cover costs for petrol re-inbursements for drivers.

The charity was also thankful for a £250 grant from Haslemere Town Council.

"Every little helps, we are grateful for anything," said Miss Holthouse

With most of the charity's helpers retired, and often the very same people who help out with other voluntary work in the area, Miss Holthouse said that the rewards of the job were enormous.

"You do meet some lovely people and they are so grateful. Some have lived in Haslemere for years and are very interesting to talk to.

The job satisfaction is know that you are helping somebody."

A founder member of Care in Haslemere some 23 years ago, Miss Holthouse, a former health visitor, was involved in setting up the charity which was then run under the auspices of the town's churches, as a good neighbour scheme.

President for the past nine years and before that chairman for 11 years is Tony McSheehy.

He is standing down as president at the end of the month at the charity's annual general meeting.

"We get as many calls in a day now as we had in a week when we first started and when petrol costs were five pence a mile."

Now drivers are reimbursed at 30 pence a mile.

For more information about becoming a driver or helping out in the office for around three hours, once a fortnight, call into the Care office at the Methodist Church Monday or Friday between 10 am and 4 pm or phone 01428 652505.

The annual general meeting of Care in Haslemere takes place on Thursday, June 28 at the Methodist Church from 1 pm, preceded by a ploughman's lunch at 12-30 pm.

"Over our dead bodies will we let Care in Haslemere die, but we do need some new blood," concluded Miss Holthouse.