CALL TO RESTRUCTURE AMBULANCE SERVICE

Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales

Date: Sunday 20th September 2009 - for immediate release

Plaid Westminster Parliamentary Candidate for Monmouth Constituency, Jonathan T Clark has backed calls for the Welsh Ambulance service to be restructured to overcome the severe difficulties the service is facing in some parts of Wales. Helen Mary Jones AM’s suggestion that the responsibility for the provision of Ambulance services be taken over by the new Local Health Boards (LHBs) and that the current National Ambulance service is disbanded is an idea whose time has come.

Jonathan T Clark said:

“There is much merit in Plaid Cymru Health Spokesperson, Helen Mary Jones AM for Llanelli’s suggestion that the Ambulance Service be included within a new LHB structure, as it would ensure local control in order to combat high response times, free up more money for frontline services and cut back on expensive bureaucracy that currently exists in administrating the Ambulance Trust, including an annual salary of £119,000 for the Chief Executive. Most people can now see that the current structure of the Ambulance service in Wales has been unable to solve the important problem of ambulance response times over the last two years, now is the time to consider a more radical proposal to bring about real improvements in the service.”

Jonathan continued:

“The establishment of the LHBs throughout Wales offers us a very real viable option for the future of the Ambulance service.  Local co-ordination of Ambulances at a very local level could ensure that the health authorities have to work in a joined-up way.  It is vital that people seen by a doctor in our hospitals, and it is vitally important that those managing the hospital and those managing the ambulances have to work as one.  This would mean a big change to the way our ambulance services are run throughout Wales, and while putting a new system in place will be a daunting task, it is clear to many people that we cannot go on as we are.”

He continued:

“At the moment, decision making is simply too far away, and the current institution is far too big and too far from service delivery. It is clear that this National Institution does not work – so may be the time to bring the responsibility back down to a more local level. This level of expensive bureaucracy is one we can do without, especially at a time when our public services are under huge financial pressures.”

Jonathan concluded:

“The Ambulance service staffs are working to ensure that they are able to react in the best way possible when they are needed, yet we are still seeing problems in response times in some areas including Monmouthshire, it is clear that the structure is wrong.  This is an idea whose time has come, as If we do not grasp this nettle now, then response times will continue to be too high and lives will continue to be put at risk.”

Diwedd / Ends

Press release Monmouth / Mynwy No: 154                                              20/09/2009

Published and promoted by and on behalf of Jonathan T Clark, Parliamentary candidate for Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales for Monmouth Constituency

Published by Huw Evans, Llanelen, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire

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