East of England Ambulance Service bosses must drop plans to close Bedford’s emergency call centre, says UNISON today.
Staff have been told that the emergency operations centre in Hammond Road is to close within two years, just months after being assured the site would remain open.
Chelmsford’s emergency call centre is also set to shut, with a new site opening somewhere in Essex. This would leave only the Norwich emergency call centre in its current state, according to the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (EEAST) board.
Last September, the trust announced plans to close the Bedford site. This is where trained call handlers take 999 calls and give life-saving assistance over the phone. It’s also the base for experienced local dispatchers to send ambulances where they’re needed.
If the original decision to close the centre had gone ahead, staff would have either lost their jobs or been forced to transfer to another centre.
But ambulance service managers rowed back on the decision under pressure from staff, local politicians and the public. In February, the trust board decided to review its emergency centre provision, promising to involve staff in the process, says UNISON.
But the trust hasn’t spoken to staff or their unions before reaching the decision that the centre is going to close, says the union.
A recent UNISON survey of all ambulance trust staff found overwhelming support for a three emergency operations centre model. More than three-quarters (77%) of staff based at the Bedford centre said they would consider leaving the trust if they were moved to another location.
UNISON East of England Ambulance Service branch chair Glenn Carrington said: “Staff have been left shocked by this latest announcement. Just a couple of months after being told their jobs were safe with promises of being consulted about the future, they’re again being threatened with the chop.
“The trust is recklessly prepared to throw away more than 1,000 years of experience and dedication in Bedford. Staff simply won’t be able to move to Norwich or a new site in Essex. And who knows how many staff in Chelmsford will decide the move’s not worth it?
“It was clear when the ambulance service first floated closing the Bedford emergency centre that residents value the specific local knowledge staff have. This decision will mean a worse service for the public.
“Staff are furious at this announcement and will be meeting soon to decide what steps they can take to try to reverse this decision.”
