Press Release
GMB demo at EoE ambulance trust
23 November 2012
GMB DEMO AT EAST OF ENGLAND AMBULANCE TRUST BOARD MEETING ON 28TH NOVEMBER AS GMB ALERTS MPs ON THE DANGERS TO PUBLIC IF CHANGES GO THROUGH
These changes will mean that in many cases two vehicles will be sent to each call. This in turn will put greater pressure on a system already at breaking point. This way of managing resources will in effect mean there are less emergency vehicles available than there are now
GMB, the union for ambulance staff, is staging a demonstration at the next board meeting of the East of England Ambulance Trust over changes that will lead to mis-management which GMB believes will put the public in danger.
In particular, GMB is very concerned that the EEAS Trust is moving away from vehicles with qualified staff that are able to respond to all types of emergencies, to vehicles that are not equipped or staffed to deal with all emergencies. GMB has written to all local MPs and MEPs alerting them to this development and drawing their attention to the union view that these changes will mean that in many cases two vehicles will be sent to each call. This in turn will put greater pressure on a system already at breaking point. This way of managing resources will in effect mean there are less emergency vehicles available than there are now.
The details of the GMB demo are as follows:
10 A.M. on
28TH NOVEMBER 2012 at the
EEAS CHELMSFORD OFFICE
BROOMFIELD
ESSEX
CM1 7WS
Tony Hughes, GMB Organiser says in his letter, “GMB has raised a number of issues in relation to ambulance response times, staff rota redesign, career and training opportunities and the overall experience of some staff being expected to attend emergency calls.
In effect, the proposals will cut the number of emergency hours in certain areas and in some cases where the demand is already greater than the resource they provide.
GMB members have expressed extreme concern in response to the proposals, and as front line workers they are the people who have to deal with upset and distressed relatives when it takes an ambulance a number of hours to attend urgent calls. In addition, there are now reports that the number of assaults on ambulance staff has increased in the last twelve months.
The Trust also intends to increase the number of rapid response vehicles (RRV) which will be staffed by paramedics. The idea is to meet response time target. In addition, the Trust plans to staff ambulances with two emergency care assistants (ECA) to convey patients to hospital. These will be known as intermediate tier vehicle (ITV) since the staff on these ambulances are not qualified to administer lifesaving treatment.
These changes will mean that in many cases two vehicles will be sent to each call. This in turn will put greater pressure on a system already at breaking point. This way of managing resources will in effect mean there are less emergency vehicles available than there are now.
One example of this would be an RRV attending a call that requires transport to hospital. If an ITV is sent and the patient needs medical care on route, the paramedic in the RRV would then have to attend to the patient in the ITV. This ties up two vehicles for the whole time of dealing with this patient as neither the ITV or the RRV would not be able to attend to another call.”
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