There have been some damaging inaccuracies in recent media reporting regarding the discontinuation of the Southampton Daisy Bus. This statement clarifies our position on those media reports.
1 | The Daisy Bus which serves Portsmouth, continues to be run by Wessex Cancer Support, with the support of the local community. It has not been renamed. The Portsmouth Daisy Bus service accounts for 75% of all journeys taken by Island residents for cancer treatments to the mainland hospitals.
2 | A new service, run by a Community Interest Company (CIC), is called The Daisy Ring Bus. It serves Southampton and replaces the Southampton Daisy Bus that finished in August 2025. Wessex Cancer Support is not associated with this new service.
3 | Media coverage stated that Wessex Cancer Support had taken the decision to discontinue the Southampton Daisy Bus in isolation. This is not true. The decision was taken in partnership with University Hospital Southampton (UHS) NHS Trust and Isle of Wight NHS Trust, due to funding changes from the States of Jersey.
4 | For several years, Wessex Cancer Support has provided the minibus for the Southampton Daisy Bus. This has been the extent of our financial contribution to the service. All other costs, including drivers’ salaries, fuel, insurance, cleaning, and contingency replacement buses were managed and paid for by UHS with funding from the States of Jersey. We therefore would be unable to take this decision in isolation.
We understand and share the upset that has been caused by the discontinuation of the Southampton Daisy Bus. We are pleased to see the community rally behind the new service (Daisy Ring Bus) and we’re in touch with the CIC to support them where we can.
We are concerned that this type of inaccurate reporting may affect Islanders’ openness to accessing our services and supporting us in future.
Every year we support hundreds of people with cancer on the Island. In 2024, we provided counselling, group support, complementary therapies and other activities for 434 people in our centre in Newport — and we’re committed to being here for our Island community for many years to come.
To find out more about the charity and how you can support, please visit www.wessexcancer.org.uk.