Unions raise patient safety concerns as ambulance provider for Northamptonshire looks to cut number of fast response vehicles

According to unions GMB and Unison, East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) wrote to FRV colleagues on July 2 explaining “imminent” changes.

The unions claim the plan is to reduce FRV cover by 50 percent. They also say it was initially due to be implemented on August 4.

However, EMAS, which covers Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire, says the FRVs will be replaced by doubled crewed ambulances in response to “demand across communities”.

A joint statement from GMB and Unison said: “The exact location of these reductions would be left to Divisional Leadership teams to decide where they most needed this resource, for those areas who would not require an FRV response the staff affected would migrate onto a double crewed ambulance (DCA) with no alteration to their current roster pattern with an additional DCA being created to be resourced from our current establishment.

“In collaboration both trade unions have united in their opposition to these proposed changes, highlighted what we felt were valid concerns over process, personal impact, statistical concerns and most importantly the potential detriment to patient safety.”

The unions say they were involved in “high level discussion” with the trust on July 4. They reached an agreement that no implementation of the changes will take place until colleagues have been offered 1-2-1 meetings, group discussions and a full evaluation of the process has taken place.

The unions encourage affected staff to put forward their views and thanked EMAS for engaging with them.

EMAS director of operations Ben Holdaway said: “Patient safety, service improvement, and staff wellbeing guide our decisions. We regularly review how we work and what our communities need to make the best use of staff, vehicles, and equipment.

“We are reviewing our emergency vehicle provision in line with patient needs and demand across all communities. As part of this, we are working to ensure that rural areas continue to receive timely and effective emergency responses. Our double crewed ambulances can transport patients to hospitals, while fast response cars cannot. Increasing the number of ambulances on the road will enhance our ability to respond to emergencies and provide hospital transport if necessary, benefitting patients in both urban and rural areas.

“Thanks to the improvements made with staff and unions over the past year, our 999 response is getting better. This change is one of several steps to keep that progress going.

“Our new Clinical Hub and Critical Care Desk mean more patients get the right help, faster, and more 999 calls are safely handled by clinicians over the phone, without needing to send an ambulance.

“When we do send an ambulance, it’s because it carries vital equipment, stretchers and trained staff to safely transport patients when needed.

“We’ll continue to be supported by our fantastic Community First Responder volunteers, Medical First Responders, and partners like the air ambulance and critical care teams in the region. With more ambulances available, we can support them even better by getting fully equipped ambulances to patients more quickly.

“We continue to actively engage with staff and trade unions to discuss the proposals.”

EMAS said there will be no change to staff contract, base locations or shift patterns.