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
