10 How long does it take to travel to hospice on public transport? – A UK wide Google maps estimation

<h3>Introduction</h3> Hospice care should be available to everyone. Research has shown that those aged over 85, those from minority communities, those from socio-economically deprived areas and those who are socially isolated are less likely to access palliative care.1 One factor may be how transport accessible the local hospice is for patients and families. This project aimed to highlight the travel involved in visiting hospice as a family member. <h3>Methods</h3> 190 hospices were included in this study from throughout the United Kingdom. Google Maps was used to generate the distance from the city/town centre in which the hospice was based to the hospice itself. Google maps estimated the travel time it would take on Thursday 10th October 2024 leaving at 2pm to reach the hospice from the centre of town. <h3>Results</h3> The average distance from the town centre to the local hospice unit is 2.48 miles (range 0.2–8.9). The travel time via car on average was 10.3 minutes (range 1–30). It took on average 47.7 minutes to walk while travel on public transport took an average of 22 minutes with 1.13 buses or trains required. There was an average 9.8 minute walk from the bus stop to the hospice. 23 hospices could not be reached by public transport but the average travel distance for these hospices was 0.94 miles. <h3>Conclusion</h3> This project aimed to explore a potential barrier, in that travelling to hospice could be too far, especially for those from socio-economically deprived areas who may not have access to a car. However, reassuringly it has showed that most hospices are close to the centre of town and are accessible by public transport in less than 30 minutes. It remains important to be aware of this potential barrier and support families who struggle to travel to hospice, especially those with mobility issues.