NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) are levying responsibility at each other to organise a dedicated bus service from West Dunbartonshire to the new hospital.

It comes after community organisations have been actively discussing and calling for the service to be created for when the new facility opens.

Under current proposals patients, staff and visitors unable to go by car are urged to travel to Glasgow City Centre then take the fastlink if they wish to go to the SGH.

Rhona Young, chair of Clydebank Seniors Forum, said: “We need an easier way for people in the Clydebank and Dumbarton areas to get to the new hospital if they are not able to drive there — older people, vulnerable people and those who are ill shouldn’t be expected to spend all that time and money going back on themselves to Glasgow City Centre.” A new £40 million fastlink service will run from Glasgow city centre and under current proposals people from the Clydebank area are expected to use it.

The return journey would require two bus or train trips and two fastlink shuttle uses — which critics claim is far too much money to be paying.

Alternative routes via Partick subway and Erskine have been slammed with the same criticism.

Clydebank Seniors Forum and Old Kilpatrick Community Council are two of many actively discussing the issue on creating the express link.

They are proposing a new bus service that would, for example, travel from the region across the Erskine Bridge, along the M8 and to the hospital, which is just off the Govan junction.

But now SPT and NHSGGC are claiming the buck lies with the other organisation to potentially bring about this service.

An SPT spokesman said: “NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has obligations to fund and deliver a range of transport measures to help ensure sustainable access to the new hospital site for patients, visitors, staff and others.” And the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokeswoman said: “The provision of a fastlink service from West Dunbartonshire to the Southern General site is a matter for Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.” Rhona Young, chair of Clydebank Seniors Forum, said: “The fact that SPT and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are blaming each other gives me the feeling of dismay.

“We understand that NHS put a contribution of £750,000 into this transport link for the Southern General Hospital that we would expect them to come up with a co-ordinated plan for people travelling from north of the river.” The issue was brought before the Clydebank Public Partnership Forum but the reply from NHSGGC allegedly failed to provide a coherent answer.

Rhona said: “Alex Robertson of the NHS who replied to us is a good politician and knows how to not answer a question — but we’ll keep bringing it up at every chance we get.

“People are really concerned about how they’re going to be getting to the new hospital — at last week’s packed-out Clydebank Seniors’ Forum meeting we discussed it at length before the council leader and chief executive.

“It’s a conversation happening all over the Clydebank and Dumbarton area — not everyone has the option of taking a car or taxi, especially elderly people.

“And we know parking is going to be a nightmare at the Southern General Hospital, as it was recently announced that there will only be 3,500 parking spaces while there are 10,000 staff.

“It’s all very well saying that we’ve to go into Glasgow but we’ll be running parallel from where we want to go.

“We really feel a more direct transport service is necessary considering there are so many people from the Clydebank and Dumbarton area who need it.”