New System Needed To Improve Ambulance 999 Performance (West Worcestershire Liberal Democrats)

West Worcestershire Liberal Democrats <contact.us@westworcslibdems.org.uk>

New System Needed To Improve Ambulance 999 Performance

January 9, 2009 10:32 PM

West Worcestershire's Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt has called on West Midlands Ambulance Trust bosses to make Herefordshire and Worcestershire their top priority for new technology to improve emergency call response times in the two counties.

Mr Burt made the call following a boardroom meeting with the Trust's CEO, Anthony Marsh at the Trust's Headquarters in Brierley Hill today.

"I asked for the meeting because of the concerns raised by members of the public and ambulance staff following the transfer of 999 calls to Brierley Hill on December 1st.

"Throughout our campaign to keep Bransford Emergency Operations Centre open we received constant reassurances from the Trust that the transfer would lead to a better, more resilient service to the public.

"There is now a very big question mark against that claim. Performance measured against the government target to attend 75% of category A calls within 8 minutes has slumped, with individual cases leading to loss of life hitting the headlines.

"Plans to move the control in February or March when fewer calls are received would have eased teething problems considerably.

"I was told that this was a decision based on 'operational' considerations. However, despite a larger than expected seasonal rise in calls, the result has been to put lives at risk. I am not convinced that staff were supportive of an early move and I believe it would have been both possible and more beneficial to the public to continue operations from Bransford at least until call volumes reduced.

"Bearing in mind the need to rebuild public confidence in the Herefordshire and Worcestershire service as quickly as possible, I have today asked the CEO to ensure that the control at Brierley Hill is the first of the three West Midlands controls to receive new call and dispatch computer systems.

"These could be installed by June or July and would help enormously to achieve or even better performance figures attained at Bransford.

"If the new Stafford control gets the first phase, implementation at Brierley Hill will be delayed until early Autumn.

"That would not be acceptable given the mistakes that have already been made and the need to bounce straight back to the first class service that all staff are desperate to deliver again.