Health officials at Ulverston Hospital were this week giving assurances that a new minibus bought with the proceeds of a massive community fund-raising effort would be put into full service.

Patients' relatives and fund-raisers had complained that a £25,000 minibus delivered to the hospital after two-and-a-half years of fund-raising had gone unused for three months.

The fund-raising campaign had asked people to dig deep for the eight-seater bus so the hospital's Coniston Ward could lay on trips for its elderly mentally-ill patients and so improve their quality of life and relieve institutionalisation.

Paul Thompson, the secretary and treasurer of the Coniston Ward support group amenity fund, said he had been frustrated that the vehicle was delivered on June 18 yet there had been only one trip since then, to Roa Island this month.

"Four people have come up to me disgusted really - they want to see the bus used," said Mr Thompson.

"They (the hospital) accepted to have us raise money for the bus and were happy about that so now they have it the least they can do is provide sufficient staff."

Paul Fox, the operations manager of the Morecambe Bay Primary Care Trust, said there had been delays taking out trips because it had taken time to teach eight nursing staff to drive the minibus.

"You can't pass your test in the mini bus until you have the bus to drive," he said in answer to Mr Thompon's concerns that staff could have been trained before delivery of the vehicle.

He added: "Now we have people trained to drive the mini bus there is no reason why we won't see it used more fruitfully."

Coniston Ward sister Jane MacGranthin said there had been added setbacks due to document hold-ups at the DVLA and because the feasibility of outings depended on the patients' well being.

" We do try to go out once a week now but sometimes there are other kinds of pressures like patients being unwell and needing extra care."

Mr Fox said they would be encouraging relatives and carers to accompany patients on outings to support staff.

The assurances were made at a presentation on Wednesday for all those who had helped raise money for the mini bus.

To reach the £25,000 target there had been a Christmas Fayre, collection boxes throughout the town and even a sponsored New Year's Day dip in the icy waters of Morecambe Bay.

Significant donations of between £2,000 and £2,500 had also come from the Town Lands Trust, The Hadfield Trust, The Charles Godwin Charitable Trust and The John Fisher Foundation.

Mr Bancroft said now the bus was in action it would improve life for ward residents who are drawn from across South Lakeland.

"Patients will be able to maintain ties with the community and enjoy social outings."

The Coniston Ward support group amenity fund is now desperately seeking cash to buy some home comforts for Ulverston Hospital' s brand new 20-bed unit for nursing the elderly mentally-ill.

The hospital minibus is due to take patients on an outing to Blackpool shortly.