Villages lose out to city

8:00am Friday 14th November 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

A POSTCODE lottery in ambulance cover is putting lives in danger in the Test Valley, claims Romsey’s MP.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by Sandra Gidley show that ambulances are reacting far more quickly to life-threatening emergencies in Southampton than in outlying villages.

South Central Ambulance Service, which covers Hampshire, is supposed to respond to 75 per cent of these Category A calls in under eight minutes.

But of 30 ambulances called to Broughton and Stockbridge this year, none arrived within the target time, while only 11 per cent met the eight-minute mark in Ampfield and Braishfield.

The 75 per cent target was also missed in North Baddesley (48 per cent).

However, in Bassett (81 per cent) and Swaythling (79 per cent) – areas of the city which are part of Mrs Gidley’s constituency – and Chilworth, Nursling and Rownhams (76 per cent), the target was exceeded.

Mrs Gidley, the Liberal Democrats spokesman on public health, said: “In short, local people are being denied the ambulance cover simply because they live in the countryside.

“Questions need to be asked as to why rural areas are being neglected. The figures suggest to me that the ambulance service is concentrating on Southampton to boost its performance figures.”

“The people of Hampshire owe a great debt to their local ambulance crews and the paramedics who do a great job every day. They literally play a life-saving role and I have seen first hand the phenomenal commitment to the service.

“Unfortunately, though minutes cost lives, particularly in those areas where people are furthest from a hospital.”

At the time of going to press the Advertiser was still awaiting comment from South Central Ambulance Service.