RAPID RESPONSE AMBULANCE TO BE TAKEN FROM BRIDLINGTON – AT THE MOMENT IT’S PARKED UP – PROBLEM “COST” WHAT ABOUT LIFE!!!
From:
Mick Pilling Chairman; Save/Support Bridlington Hospital Campaign; Established October, 2002 – 12, New Pasture Close, Bridlington East Yorkshire YO16 7NT
Telephone/Facsimile: (01262) 671926 – E-mail: [email protected] – Website: www.savebridlingtonhospital.co.uk
Set-up to fight for people, residents and patients of: Bridlington, Withernsea, East Yorkshire & District
To Whom It May Concern: Support a Campaign to have this; Fully Equipped Life Saving Machine with Highly Qualified Paramedics and Technicians put back on the ROAD! “It’s a life saver”
The Rapid Response Ambulance based at Bridlington Hospital as ceased to operate; it as not run around our town for approx 4 weeks; why you ask; its service as been withdrawn by Tees, East & North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (TENYAS) because it is costing far too much to run; once again a price is been put on life?
Only 10 months ago Bridlington was proud, the flags went up, there was a big splash for this Rapid Response Ambulance one of only (5) in the Yorkshire area; at a cost of £38,000 these Specially Adapted Volvo Estate Cars with there highly trained Paramedics and Medical Technicians hit the roads of Bridlington and District; patrolling our areas; been first on the scene; giving life saving treatment to a host of patients who may have well died if not for there highly trained skills; responding to Life-Threatening Injuries; People who have gone into Cardiac Arrest, Respiratory Problems and Heart Attacks or been involved in a Road Traffic Accident, been first on the scene can make a difference between life or death; now Bridlington has had another smack in the eye; the withdrawal of these Rapid Response Ambulances is clearly un-called for; these ludicrous decisions made by faceless pen-pushers and bureaucrats who are hell bent on saving money.
When the question of why are this Rapid Response Ambulance been withdrawn? We only get one answer; they are not cost effective; they are too expensive; so we say to TENYAS cut down on management, pen-pusher and bureaucrats and hey-presto we have the money required for running these services we so rightly need. If its not cost effective in Bridlington; will it be cost effective somewhere else?
When we have an ambulance out of town on call at the moment, there is always a Rapid Response Ambulance as back-up on stand-by; what will happen when this ambulance is withdrawn?
National Ambulance Response Targets: as follows:
· Category A calls: conditions which may be immediately life threatening and which should be responded to within (8) minutes irrespective of location, in 75% of cases
· Category B calls: conditions which, though serious, are not immediately life threatening and should be responded to within 14 minutes in urban areas and 19 minutes in rural areas in 95% of cases
· Category C calls: conditions which, are not immediately life threatening or serious but should also be responded to within 14 minutes in urban areas and 19 minutes in rural areas in 95% of cases
· Urgent cases: in addition to emergency 999 calls, ambulance services are required to take patients to hospital where the need is identified by a doctor as urgent. These patients should arrive at hospital within 15 minutes of the arrival time specified by the doctor in 95% of cases.
· On Average: Bridlington Ambulance Station is called out to approx: 9 to 12 Emergencies a day
· At night we still have only one Ambulance at Bridlington and one parked up in a lay-by near to Driffield; our Ambulance service is fully stretched to its limit covering the town and its rural area.
From one thing to another; the NHS is in complete chaos; first our MIU Closed; then our Maternity Services threatened; then Day Care Services threatened; lifts still not working at Bridlington Hospital after 12 months; Security Cameras were broken, I got them repaired; the list goes on. Now we find that the Rapid Response Ambulance as not been doing the rounds but parked up at the Bridlington Hospital Ambulance Station; talk about getting a raw deal.
I now call on everyone to support this Campaign to have this Rapid Response Ambulance up-and-running and back on our roads indefinitely; I believe it is a Life Saver; this town has its fair share of people with heart problems and heart complaints; this is not just an every-day ambulance but a Fully Equipped Life Saving Machine with Highly Qualified Paramedics and Technicians “we need it, give it back”
There is talk by TENYAS to withdraw all R/R/V’s from the roads of East Yorkshire; forthwith; the reasons; cost; putting lives in danger, we fully believe!
TENYAS is run by Chief Executive Jane Barnes comments are non-responsive to this travesty now facing Bridlington & District people; its all down to cost once again.
Hello Mick, Please find enclosed a copy of a statement prepared by Jayne and the PR team, as promised (like a press release if you like).
Hope this helps. Kind Regards Andrea (c/o Jayne)
Andrea Birch
PA to Chief Executive
01904 666003 (direct line)
Statement: Re: TENYAS Rapid Response Vehicles
“The whole concept of Rapid Response Vehicles is a relatively new development. All our R/R/Vs are under constant review to ensure clinical efficiency and cost effectiveness. That review process entails monitoring their base stations and hours of operation in relation to the number of occasions they are required to respond.
We believe the reduction in RRV cover will have no detrimental effect to patients locally and we will constantly review this position as we do in all our operational areas.” ENDS
Issued 25/11/03 this statement goes against what the Ambulance service stands for; this statement explains nothing; all they are doing is putting money in the way of saving life; TENYAS will not give a reasonable explanation? The fight goes on and will go on until they re-introduce these Vital Ambulance Services
I would ask everyone to write to me in support of Re-instating the R/R/V’s
Regards Mick Pilling Chairman Save/Support Bridlington Hospital Campaign; fighting for the rights of East Riding of Yorkshire People