BIGGER AMBULANCE TRUSTS WILL MEAN A BETTER SERVICE

16 May 2006 04:45 PM

Lord Warner confirms details of ambulance service reorganisation

Health Minister Lord Warner today confirmed details of a major reorganisation of the ambulance service in England.

Following a three month public consultation exercise, it has been decided that from 1 July 2006 there will be 12 NHS ambulance trusts in England, with mergers of many of the existing 29 trusts.

By creating fewer larger ambulance trusts, there will be less bureaucracy, more money to invest in front line services and better care for patients.

Lord Warner said:

"Last year's strategic review of ambulance services gave us clear recommendations for how we can make improvements to patient care.

"The review not only set out how ambulance trusts can build on improvements in response times to life-threatening situations, but also how NHS ambulance staff can go beyond their traditional role and also deliver more NHS services closer to home.

"But to make this vision a reality, organisational changes are necessary to create more strategic capability. The boundary changes that were recommended will create larger organisations that will be better equipped to meet the challenges faced by a 21st century service.

"We know that these changes are important for local people, which is why we put the proposals to public consultation. Overall, we received positive responses to the proposed changes and, where there have been local concerns voiced, we have provided assurances that the new ambulance trusts will be required to meet the needs of local people within their boundaries. In the West Midlands, Staffordshire ambulance trust will remain a separate trust for now, working in partnership with the new West Midlands ambulance trust until a merger is agreed at a later date."

The benefits of creating larger trusts include:

- More investment in front-line services as trusts make savings in 'back-room' functions;

- Improved patient care by providing an opportunity to raise the standards of service provided by all trusts to the level of the best;

- Better emergency planning with greater capacity and capability to respond to major incidents of all kinds;

- More integrated services and better career opportunities for staff.

Lord Warner emphasised that there will be no reduction in ambulance vehicles, or front-line staff.

Chair-persons designate and chief executives designate for the new ambulance trusts will be announced shortly.

The strategic review of ambulance services in England was conducted by Peter Bradley, national ambulance advisor and chief executive of London Ambulance Service.

He was supported by a reference group of key stakeholders including ambulance trust chief executives, clinicians and representatives of other NHS organisations. The review resulted in a number of recommendations about the future of ambulances services in England that would improve patient services.

A key recommendation was for fewer, bigger ambulance trusts to secure stronger management capacity and capability and better use of resources.

Changes to ambulance trust boundaries have been announced today alongside a major reorganisation of NHS Primary Care Trusts in England. All of these changes will deliver a more tailored NHS service for patients and bring better value for money for the taxpayer.

Notes to editors:

1. New ambulance trust boundaries:

New ambulance trust
Existing ambulance trusts
Area covered

North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- North East
- Part of Tees, East & North Yorkshire
As per the Government Office Region (GoR) for the North East

North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- Cumbria
- Lancashire
- Mersey Region
- Greater Manchester
As per the GoR for the North West:

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- Part of Tees, East & North Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
As per the GoR for Yorkshire and the Humber:

[With the exception of North and North East Lincolnshire (see East Midlands)]
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- East Midlands
- Lincolnshire
- Half of Two Shires
As per the GoR for the East Midlands:

[With the exception of Glossop (see North West), and the addition of North and North East Lincolnshire]
West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- West Midlands
- Hereford & Worcester
- Coventry & Warwickshire
- Staffordshire
As per the GoR for the West Midlands

Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Staffordshire to remain separate for up to two years, working in partnership with the West Midlands during that period.

East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- East Anglian
- Essex
- Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire
As per the GoR for the East of England

London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- London (unchanged)
As per the GoR for London

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- Kent
- Surrey
- Sussex
Kent, Surrey and Sussex:
[Plus the area covered by Rushmoor District Council and part of Hart District Council]

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- Hampshire
- Royal Berkshire
- Oxfordshire
- Half of Two Shires
Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire:
[With the exception of Rushmoor District Council, part of Hart District Council and the electoral ward of Shrivenham]

Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- Great Western (established on 1st April 2006)
Bristol, North Somerset, Bath & North East Somerset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire:
[Plus the electoral ward of Shrivenham (Vale of the White Horse Council)]

South West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- Dorset
- West Country
Devon, Cornwall, Isles of Scilly, Dorset, Somerset

Isle of Wight Healthcare Primary Care Trust
- Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight

2. There was very strong opposition to proposals in the West Midlands. The strength of public concern in Staffordshire is such that, while the Department of Health feels that these concerns do not reflect the likely outcome of merger, it has been agreed to allow merger to take place to a slower timescale to give time for the public to be reassured that they will continue to receive a high quality service. Staffordshire Ambulance Service will work in partnership with the new West Midlands Ambulance Service to integrate and improve services across the area, with the intention to merge at a later date.

3. The consultation exercise on boundary changes ran from 14 December 2005 to 22 March 2006. Over 3000 responses were received from across England and over 400 public meetings were held.

4. There was no consultation on ambulance trust organisation in London, as no changes were proposed for London.

5. There was also no consultation on ambulance trust organisation in Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire as a separate earlier local consultation has concluded, and a decision taken to merge the three ambulance trusts in that area from 1 April 2006.

6. Peter Bradley's strategic review of NHS ambulance services can be found at http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/42/70/04114270.pdf

7. For enquiries please contact 020 7210 4850.