THE Ambulance and Rescue Service must change to survive, according to its chief officer.
But staff have registered an industrial dispute over new working practices. They are understood to be unhappy at management’s ‘obsession’ with meeting response time targets and concerns that those in the front line were being spread too thinly.
‘It’s a difficult time for the service,’ said chief ambulance officer Jon Beausire (pictured).
‘We are going through a period of change and I fully understand why some members of staff will resist it.
‘I have to make tough decisions that will upset some people. It’s not a popularity contest.’
The £2.05m. grant that the service is budgeted to get from Health and Social Services this year will cover only 70% of its costs.
And the grant can be used only for the provision of ambulance services with emergency medical technicians, of whom there are 28.
The extra pay earned by the service’s 17 paramedics has – like the cliff rescue service and marine ambulance among others – to be paid for by donations or bequests.
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Article posted on 8th February, 2010 - 2.30pm
2 Article Comments
Unfortunately if the adaptation follows the UK paradigm then people will die. Many rich and influential people only care about money and cant even see this will effect them and their children.
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Going same was as NHS!
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