Ambulance chiefs face questioning

There are concerns about plans to close the Shrewsbury control room
More than 100 people attended a meeting to quiz ambulance leaders over plans to shut Shropshire's control centre.
West Midlands Ambulance Service is looking at closing the call centre and moving the work to Brierley Hill, in the Black Country, or Stafford.

On Tuesday night a meeting was held at Shrewsbury's Shire Hall for members of the public to hear the reasons behind the proposal.

A similar meeting will be held in Telford on Thursday evening.

Ambulance chiefs have said they want to take on as many different views from people as possible before making a final decision.

'More efficient'

However, many of those attending the Shrewsbury meeting said they were concerned the decision had already been made.

The ambulance service has said the move would make the service more efficient and has denied it would be a cost-cutting exercise.

Earlier this month, three workers from the ambulance service were suspended over allegations of breaching the Data Protection Act.

Control room logs were passed to the BBC amid concerns closing the Shropshire control centre would put patients at risk.

MR MARSH AND HIS TEAM FAILED TO ANSWER 50% OF THE QUESTIONS PUT TO HIM LAST NIGHT, HE FAILED TO ANSWER WHY LEAMINGTON SPA AND NOT SHREWSBURY , HE SAYS IT IS NOT DOWN TO COST ? ITS NOT DOWN TO I.T WHAT IS IT DOWN TO THEN ?
COULD IT BE THAT THE LEAMINGTON SPA CONTROL ROOM IS ON  A LEASE FROM THE FIRE SERVICE AND THAT LEASE IS UP IN 2 YEARS .... SO IN 2 YEARS THEY WILL CLOSE TOO! ! THEN MR MARSH WILL HAVE HIS 2 CONTROL CENTRES........ WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ONE OF THESE CONTROL CENTRES FAIL, THE OTHER ONE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COPE WITH ALL OF THE CALLS, THE STAFF WOULD HAVE A LONG DRIVE BETWEEN STAFFORD AND DUDLEY TO WHICH EVER CONTROL WAS STILL RUNNING, SO HOW LONG WOULD PEOPLE BE WAITING FOR THE SERVICE THEN TO GET UP AND RUNNING.
BY KEEPING AT SHREWSBURY AS A FULL TIME FALL BACK CENTRE, EXTENDING IT TO HAVE MORE SEAT CAPACITY, EASILY DON IN THE EXISISTING BUILDING, WE COULD BE FALL BACK  CENTRE AND TAKE ON OTHER JOBS TOO, SUCH LIKE EMERGANCY PLANNING, CENTRE, FOR FLOODS, EXTREME WEATHER ETC, JUST AN IDEA BUT I AM SURE THERE ARE MANY MORE IDEAS OUT THERE, PLEASE WRITE IN TO THE  E MAIL ADDRESS OR PUT THEM ON HERE, IF MR MARSH WANTS ALTERNATIVES THEN THAT IS WHAT WE WILL GIVE HIM ......THE CLOCK IS TICKING

STEVE JETLEY RESIGNS............
THANK YOU STEVE FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE FOR THE PUBLIC OF SHROPSHIRE AND THE STAFF OF SHROPSHIRE AMBULANCE CONTROL , GOOD LUCK FOR THE FUTURE . 

YET ANOTHER SPIN ON THE TRUTH........
WHO DO YOU BELIEVE ????

READ THE FOLLOWING LINK TO THE SHROPSHIRE STAR ALONG WITH THE COMMENTS

http://www.shropshirestar.co.uk/2007/08/999-calls-not-hit-by-change/

ALSO NOTE THE EDITORIAL COMMENT FROM THE SHROPSHIRE STAR HERE IT IS IF YOU MISSED IT !

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10th August - STOP THIS SECRECY NOW!!

Any publicity officer worth his salt will tell you that saying ‘no comment’ to the media, or trying to prevent publication of factually accurate information, is not the smartest idea.

It immediately implies that you have something to hide.A dark, damaging secret. So it’s little wonder that county ambulance bosses have found themselves on the wrong end of some rather embarrassing headlines over the past week. It’s bad enough that front-line workers felt compelled to reveal how Shropshire ambulances were being frequently sent out of the county to cover routine work in the West Midlands. It’s worse still that they were then suspended for breaching company policy. But it’s frankly unbelievable that, all the time, there was a perfectly sensible response which would have nipped this controversy in the bud. Having held this back for days, the damage has now been done. Mud sticks in PR terms, and it will take the ambulance service some time to shake off the perception that they’re a closed organisation which prefers to keep its business secret.
When you have highly skilled publicity officers, being funded by the taxpayers, it really should not need front-line ambulance staff, local MPs and a helping hand from the press to bring the true picture into the public domain. Transparency and honesty is always the wisest policy.

Shropshire Star

TWO OF THE THREE STAFF MEMBERS REINSTATED...PLEASE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT STEVE JETLEY
Please also continue supporting the 2 that are back at work, it still is a very trying time for all involved. 
Eight weeks left of the consultation period and yesterday saw the first of the public meetings , the first one was in Worcester with just 21 people attending, the Shrewsbury meeting is on the 28th August at 1930 at the Shirehall, please ralley support and get as many of your friends and family there, Shropshire Ambulance Services employees, please try your very best to attend, the show of support at the meeting on Tues this week was overwelming but there are many many more of you out there that WILL be affected if our control closes.
Telford meeting is on the 30th August at 1900 at the civic centre.....
Meanwhile please keep your letters rolling into to the consultation addresses and your local MP's and Newspapers...... It is too late on the 10th October 2007
We do not want to be saying we told you so !
Thank you

SO FAR WE HAVE HAD 5500 PAGE VEWS ON THIS SITE !!!! PLEASE PLEASE IF ONLY HALF OF YOU WROTE A COMMENT ON THE SITE OR WROTE A LETTER OF SUPPORT THAT WOULD SPEAK VOLUMES

SUPPORT THE SHROPSHIRE 3 !!!!!!

also follow the link to the worcs newspaper, read the article then follow the page down to the comments very interesting comments on here too especially from ambo999 !!!!!
http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1584520.mostcommented.ambulance_staff_plea_to_health_chiefs.php

SUPPORT THE SHREWSBURY THREE !!!!!!

http://www.shropshirestar.co.uk/2007/07/suspension-of-999-staff/

STEVE JETLEY AND 2 OTHER MEMBERS OF STAFF HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED FROM DUTY FOR STANDING UP AND SPEAKING OUT.
WEST MIDLAND AMBULANCE TRUST ARE TRYING TO DISTANCE THIS INCIDENT FROM THE CLOSURE OF THE CONTROL CENTRES !!! THEY COULD'NT BE MORE WRONG

OUR TWO MAIN ARGUEMENTS AGAINST THE CLOSURE OF ANY OF THE CONTROL CENTRES IN SHREWSBURY OR BRANSFORD , ARE THE LOSS OF LOCAL KNOWLEDGE WHEN DEALING WITH 999 CALLS AND THE LOSS OF THE LOCAL CONTROL OVER THE MOVEMENT OF AMBULANCES WITHIN THE SHROPSHIRE AND HEREFORD AND WORCS AREA AND THE SAFETY OF THE RESIDENTS OF THESE TWO HUGE RURAL COUNTIES

These staff members have stood up and spoken out highlighting and trying to educate the public in the daily activities of the trust. The trust spokesman recently said on the local radio station that the movement of shropshire vehicles to the west midland area does not happen ????

They have done this as the feel very strongly with regard to the closure of the control centres and feel that they have had no choice but to step up to the line to try and bring these occurances to the forefront for the public to see.

Please please write and show your support for these 3 , whether you are a member of staff or a member of the public, write to Anthony Marsh at

Anthony.Marsh@wmas.nhs.uk

PLEASE ALSO KEEP WRITING TO THE TRUST FOR THE CONSULTATION PERIOD REGARDING THE CLOSURE OF THE CONTROL CENTRES, THE FIGHT GOES ON AND DESPITE THE TRUST TRYING TO DISTANCE THE 2 STORIES THEY ARE VERY MUCH LINKED

WE HAVE UNTIL THE 1ST OCT 2007 TO GET OUR VIEWS ACCROSS TO THE TRUST BOARD
PLEASE WRITE TO :-
WEST MIDLAND AMBULANCE SERVICE HEADQUARTERS
EOC RECONFIGURATION CONSULTATION
MILLENIUM POINT
WATERFRONT BUSINESS PARK
BRIERLY HILL
DUDLEY
WEST MIDLANDS
DY5 1LX

OR EMAIL :-

consultation@wmas.nhs.uk

All letters to be in no later than 1st of October 2007

THERE IS ALSO A NUMBER OF PUBLIC MEETINGS DATES ARE AS FOLLOWS
Public Meetings

West Midlands Ambulance Service is to hold a series of public meetings to give members of the public a chance to hear more about the proposed reconfiguration of Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs).

The meetings will also give members of the public the opportunity to formally register their views. The meetings will take place at the following locations -

Worcester
Wednesday 8th August - 6.30pm to 9.30pm
Worcestershire County Council, County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester, WR5 2NP

Hereford
Thursday 16th August - 6.30 to 9.30pm
Town Hall Hereford Herefordshire HR1 2PJ

Shrewsbury
Tuesday 28th August - 7.00 to 9.00pm Council Chambers Shropshire County Council Shire Hall, Abbey Forgate, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Telford
Thursday 30th August - 7.00 to 9.00pm
Borough of Telford & Wrekin, Civic Offices, Telford. TF3 4LD

FINALLY WE THANK THE 3 INVOLVED IN THESE SUSPENSIONS FOR STANDING UP AND SPEAKING OUT, YOU HAVE SAID WHAT ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THOUGHT AND DISCUSSED FOR A LONG LONG TIME AND WE SUPPORT YOU 100 %

PLEASE POST YOUR THOUGHTS AND VIEWS ON THIS SITE AS THEY CAN BE SEEN BY ALL !

alex [Visitor]

2007-07-31 @ 17:58
Please support your ambulance service
Write to ambulance bosses and your mp and demand the reinstatement of the two Shropshire ambulance staff who have been suspended for standing up and looking after the interests of Shropshire’s residents by proving the regionalisation of the ambulance service is put lives at risk in you community and moving Shropshire control room will only make matters worse

Reply to comment | Edit
Simon [Visitor]

2007-07-31 @ 20:36
Oops.

West Midlands Ambulance Service has been caught out telling porkies! So after denying that emergency service in Shropshire (and presumably other rural areas) is being lost to the big cities, it transpires that Shropshire vehicles have indeed been sent to urban areas (presumably the deal with outstanding urgent cases, rather than actual 999's.)

Had there been no attempt to get extra time on these cases? I could almost understand going to help out with an influx of 999's that couldn't be covered - as hopefully Millenium Point would send vehicles in to Shropshire at any time when assiatnce was needed).

But non 999's???!!!! Hopefully there'll be an investigation into the actions and procedures of Millenium Point Control too, especially the Duty Manager?

I wonder how the somewhat unprincipled PR officers are going to deal with that, beyond the usual gutless "its been investigated and we can't comment" drivel?

Whistleblowing is allowable these days if it can be proved to be in the public interest (as this issue certainly is). To suspend staff members for expressing their honestly held concerns - on the very weak pretext of 'data protection' - is a cowardly way for the Trust to behave.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/shropshire/6924176.stm