A 78-year-old woman from Welwyn Garden City waited three hours in the “pouring rain and freezing cold” for the 301 bus from Lister Hospital.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Lister Hospital in Stevenage. Picture: East and North Herts NHS Trust.Lister Hospital in Stevenage. Picture: East and North Herts NHS Trust. (Image: Archant)

Joan White, who was being treated for a broken arm, left the Stevenage hospital at 5pm on November 5.

After sitting at the bus stop until around 8pm, when six buses should have passed by, she took a taxi with her 81-year-old husband back to her WGC home.

She said: "It was not just me. I really felt for the nurses as they say it happens night after night."

An Arriva spokesperson said it does try to run efficient services but traffic was a problem on the day.

"The ongoing roadworks across Stevenage are causing traffic issues for many road users currently, and have impacted our 301 service in particular.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused, but hope our passengers understand that factors outside of our control can sometimes impact on services.

"As always, we will continue to work with local authorities to reduce the impact of roadworks and traffic to our services."