In the last few days I have heard about the closure of the ambulance control centre in Shrewsbury.

If we lose this then our calls will be done by someone who does not know the driver or the area and this might cost lives

I would like to know what other people think!!

The people in Shropshire must be made aware of the danger involved in closing their ambulance control room, this decision will cost lives. Within the control room work approx 16 staff members most of which have worked for the service for a considerable length of time. They all hold vast local knowledge and great experience in everything they do. On a daily basis they guide ambulances in using maps and personal knowledge of this heavily rural county. This will be lost with the new plans to be announced in the summer, they say they have not yet decided where to base the Shropshire desk within the remaining control rooms, and due to todays technology it would not matter in theory who and where the calls were answered ??? or would it............
A delay in directions to a ambulance crew , or a small piece of local knowledge, say a road being closed or a divertion could delay a crew getting to a patient, this could have serious consequences.
For a rural county like ours local knowledge is paramont, the trouble with SAT NAV and Computer Aided systems is when they fail and yes they do! When the ambulance goes into a black spot or the signal is poor YOUR ambulance that is coming to you RELIES on local knowledge, without it vital seconds will be lost.
Next time you see a Ambulance on a emergency or if you have the misfourtune to ring 999 yourself (hopefully you wont but you never know) STOP AND THINK, when the call is answered within seconds, where is the person your talking to ??? and will they know where you are and how to get to you???

PLEASE PLEASE SUPPORT THIS CAMPAIGN BELOW ARE LINKS TO THE CAMPAIGN WEBSITE AND LINKS TO THE SHROPSHIRE STAR

NEXT WEEK A PETITION WILL BE LAUNCHED, PLEASE SIGN IT AND ASK YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO SIGN IT TOO !

LOBBY LOCAL COUNCILLORS, MP'S THE NEWSPAPERS

DON'T WAIT TILL IT'S TOO LATE, ACTION IS NEEDED NOW!!

http://www.saveourambulancecontrol.blog.co.uk/

http://www.shropshirestar.co.uk/2007/04/co...ntre-faces-axe/

Write to Anthony Marsh,
Chief Executive
West Midlands Ambulance Service,
Millennium Point
Waterfront Business Park
Waterfront Way
Brierley Hill
West Midlands
DY5 1LX
http://www.wmas.nhs.uk/

THANK YOU :rolleyes:

Is there any evidence from other areas where this has happened (I can't imagine Shrewsbury is unique) to show whether or not there have been increased fatality rates?

AMBULANCE TRUSTS HAVE MERGERED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND NOW ARE SLOWLY BECOMING REGIONALISED, SO NO SHREWSBURY CONTROL IS NOT UNIQUE....BUT SHROPSHIRE IS, SHROPSHIRE IS ONE OF IF NOT THE LARGEST IN LAND COUNTY IN THE COUNTRY WITH A VERY HIGH POPULATION EVEN THOUGH IT IS SO RURAL. TO MOVE THE 999 CALL ANSWERING AND AMBULANCE DEPLOYMENT TO A BUSY CALL CENTRE, WHICH IS PART OF A BIG TRUST WHO PREDOMINATELY ARE A BUILT UP AREA MUCH BUSIER THAN OUR COUNTY IS THE PROBLEM

1. AS ALREADY STATED LOCAL KNOWLEDGE WILL BE GONE, AND YOU WILL HAVE TO RELY ON SOMONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW THE AREA TO TAKE AND PASS DIRECTIONS.
2. WITH SAT NAV AND OTHER MODERN TECHNOLOGY BEING USED IN SHROPSHIRE, CAUSES PROBLEMS IN IT SELF, IT FAILS OFTEN AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS BLACK SPOTS LEAVING THE CREWS UN AIDED TO REACH THEIR DESTINATION.
3. AT PRESENT YOUR 999 CALL IS ANSWERED WITHIN SECONDS, AND YOU ARE GIVEN STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO HELP YOUR PATIENT WHILST THE AMBULANCE IS ENROUTE TO YOU.
IF YOU RING 999 IN THE WEST MIDLANDS AT BUSY PERIODS, OFTEN THE WEEKEND AND FRI SAT SUN NIGHT ETC, YOU ARE MORE THAN LIKELY GOING TO GET A RECORDED MESSAGE TELLING YOU THAT YOU ARE IN A QUEUE! AND WHEN THEY EVENTUALLY ANSWER YOUR CALL, IF THEY ARE BUSY STILL ONCE THEY HAVE ASKED THE QUESTIONS THEY REQUIRE YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LISTEN TO A RECORDED MESSAGE GIVING YOU THE ADVICE.......SO BY NOW YOU HAVE WAITED UP TO.... AND IT COULD BE 20 MINS IN A QUEUE, YOU THEN HAVE STUGGLED TO GET YOUR ADDRESS OVER TO THE CALL TAKER, THEN AS YOU LIVE IN THE DEPTHS OF......CLEE HILL OR CLUN OR NEAR THE WELSH BORDERS YOU KNOW THAT YOUR AMBULANCE IS AT LEAST 20 MINS AWAY , SO YOUR PATIENT BY NOW HAS WAITED OVER 40 MINS FOR HELP....... THIS IN A AGE WHEN WE ARE ALWAYS TOLD TIME IS CRITICAL.

I DONT KNOW IF THERE IS ANY EVIDENCE OF EXTRA FATALITIES DUE TO THIS HAPPENING, BUT LETS FACE IT WHICH AMBULANCE TRUST IS GOING TO ADMIT THAT!!!!!

ALL WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS HIGHLIGHT THIS CLOSURE AS IT IS NOT GOING TO BE A GOOD MOVE FOR SHROPSHIRE. AND THE PEOPLE OF SHROPSHIRE WOULD NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE UNLESS THIS CAMPAIGN HAD BEGUN.

THE PEOPLE OF STAFFORDSHIRE FOUGHT THIS WITH THEIR AMBULANCE TRUST FOR EXACTLY THE SAME REASONS.......OK THEY HAD A STAY OF EXECUTION AND NOW ARE MERGING WITH WEST MIDLANDS AMB BUT THEIR CONTROL IS SAFE BECAUSE THE MANAGERS AT WEST MIDS KNOW THERE WOULD BE TOO MUCH OBJECTION AND OUT CRY FROM THE PEOPLE OF STAFFORDSHIRE.......SO WHY SHOULD SHROPSHIRE PEOPLE HAVE SECOND BEST

It's not just ambulance control, Fire control is also being regionalised and is merging with other brigades and will operate from Wolverhampton, yet again you will lose valuable local knowledge and lives endangered as a result.

:angry: yes and to think up until about 1 year ago, they both were to share a brand new state of the art control centre at emstrey in Shrewsbury.......until the powers that be pulled the plug ! ? , The soil was about to be dug for the start of the build too, plans had been drawn up ......what a waste of money that exercise was :angry: :angry:

There was a stand at the top of Pride Hill outside WH Smith yesterday collecting signatures for what I assume is the same cause...

YES the petition will be on top of Pride hill in Shrewsbury on various days, it will hopefully be available in the main supermarkets in town as of Friday.
Other places they have been put are : -

Severn Trent
Conway drive chemist, Telford Estate,
Attingham Park
Crown Pub in Coleham
Coleham Chemist
Comet Cars
William Hills Book makers abbey foregate
Radbrook college
SCAT
Police station shrewsbury
Royal Mail shrewsbury
Telepost shrewsbury
they will be also in the main shops in shrewsbury town centre....hopefully , all main supermarkets,

In Telford they are at:-
Wellington Civic Centre,
Donnington helath centre,
Asda Donnington customer service and staff canteen
Asda Telford Town Centre customer service
Post Office Telford Town Centre
Tourist Information Telford Town Centre
Ice Rink Telford Town Centre
International Convention Centre Telford Town Centre
Cannons Health Centre
Mecca Bingo Telford town Centre,
Tesco's Wellington Retail Park
If you work or go to any of these places please ask if you can sign the petition as some places were unsure that they would be able to put out in public view ?? but most were happy to.
Will update the site as more petitions go out, and yes the shropshire Star will be made aware of where they all are, and the local radio stations.

IF ANY ONE WHO DOES NOT LIVE NEAR THESE PLACES AND FEEL THEY COULD GET A PETITION FILLED OUT BY LOCAL SUPPORT AND THEY LIVE IN THE REST OF SHROPSHIRE AND WOULD BE ABLE TO PASS OUT THE POSTERS AND PETITIONS, PLEASE PLEASE EMAIL US AT
saveourservice@aol.co.uk
and we weill either send some out to you or arrange you to get them some how.... or we will e mail you the petition template along with the poster copy and then you can print them off your self !

PLEASE PLEASE WE NEED LOCAL SUPPORT, YOU WOULD BE SHOCKED IF YOU SPENT A DAY WALKING AROUND WITH THIS PETITION PEOPLE STILL DON'T REALISE THIS IS HAPPENING OR ARE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT IT.........BUT DON'T WAIT UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE... WE NEED ACTION NOW
:ph43r: :)