ELDERLY patients using a new Braintree surgery are being poorly served by public transport, they claim.

St Lawrence Surgery, which was in Bocking End, re-opened as the Church Lane Surgery at a more modern venue at Braintree College last month.

But Stephen Holdstock, of Hay Lane, said he had to wait more than an hour to get home from the surgery.

Mr Holdstock, 73, said the surgery should have considered transport for the elderly and disabled.

He uses the number 38 Stephensons bus to get to the college, but said they were rare.

He said: “I think it’s disgusting, I went down to the surgery for the first time on Friday and there is a bus stop just outside the college, but no bus times.

“I was out of my appointment by 10.30am, but after calling the bus company they said there was not another number 38 bus until 4.30pm.

“I think for older pensioners like me without their own transport it’s disgusting.”

Mr Holdstock, who eventually gave up and spent 45 minutes walking home, said he felt the service should be available every 30 minutes.

He said: “I didn’t know if other buses were available, the surgery does not have any service timetables.

“I have chronic kidney disease so if I have to walk far I have to stop and rest. Since they moved the surgery they have made no arrangements to get any sort of transport.”

Julia Perkins, another resident, said she felt something needed to be done for older residents.

She said: “I was discussing it with some other Braintree residents recently and they were commenting on how difficult it was to get a bus to the doctors surgery at a time to attend their appointments, in some cases they are having to go an hour earlier.

“Some of them are elderly and it’s very hard for them, then of course they have to get home again. They are having to attend the surgery regularly so it’s very difficult for them.”

The surgery said it did not have bus timetables up, but would now print them out to display on the noticeboard. The surgery said Braintree Council also offered a community transport service.

Bill Hiron, managing director at Stephensons, said: “Our main service 38 operates via Bocking/Deanery Gardens.

“We operate a handful of journeys via the college at their start/finish times primarily aimed at students.

“The only way we could provide more buses via the college would be to reduce the number via Deanery Gardens, which is a popular service.”