Swanage ambulance car SAVED
The paramedic vehicle will remain a 24/7 service for people in Swanage and Purbeck
The Swanage ambulance car has been saved after a long and well-supported public campaign.
The paramedic crewed vehicle is used to get to patients for rapid life-saving support – and is used at other times for more routine work.
A joint statement from the NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) says the car will remain as a 24/7 service.
In a joint statement they say: “As many of you will know, we have been exploring the views of local people about the service through our ongoing listening exercise. Throughout this time funding for the car has continued and has not been reduced.
“We started this listening exercise some time ago; but have not been able to move forward earlier due to the NHS’ national and local pressures, priorities to sustain the COVID-19 response, the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination programme across Dorset and the recovery of services.
“Due to this, it has taken us a little longer than we had hoped to progress our listening activities, where we received valuable local feedback, insight and opinion regarding ongoing provision of the Purbeck Car.
“We’d like to thank people for their patience and understanding.
“We know how important it is to the communities of Purbeck and Swanage to have reassurance around the ongoing provision of healthcare services in the area.
“Following our listening exercise, we can confirm that the service will remain as a 24/7 car and will continue to provide a valuable service.
“As previously stated, SWASFT, along with all health and social care providers, are continuing to be impacted by the inevitable increases of staff absences as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We would like to provide assurances to the communities that we are working hard to address this and to improve the staffing of the car moving forward.”
The statement was issued in the names of Sue Sutton, Programme Director Urgent & Emergency Care – NHS Dorset CCG and Nick Reynolds, County Commander, South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.
Cllr Mike Parkes, Chairman of the People and Health Overview Committee at Dorset Council said:
“Dorset Council has been working with Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and local ward members in Swanage over the past two years to ensure the continuation of the ambulance car in Swanage.
“We have a statutory role to represent the needs of residents who could be adversely affected by changes to health services, and we appreciate that the local communities were left with uncertainty about the future of the ambulance car over a long period of time.
“Dorset Council promised to set up its own task and finish group to look at the future provision of ambulance cover in the Swanage area, and recently wrote to the CCG asking for reassurance that there would not be any cuts to the service, or alternatively, give us their proposals for a public consultation on the matter so we could review the situation.
“We are delighted to have received news from the CCG that there will be no cuts to this service and the ambulance car will continue to serve the community in future.
“We know the service is vital for the local community and surrounding villages, administering life-saving support long before a conventional ambulance can reach many emergency cases.
“There is also a considerable distance to A&E facilities, and a high population of elderly and vulnerable residents.”