Our aim is to raise public awareness about the proposed closure of Hereford and Worcester Emergency Operations Control. Until last week, the public were very likely unaware that Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service as an independent service, no longer exists. Last year the sign facing the road from the car park read, "HEREFORD AND WORCESTER AMBULANCE SERVICE HEADQUARTERS". Now it reads West Midlands Ambulance Service Bransford. We mean to see it doesn't disappear altogether.
Week beginning 8th October
Control staff attended the Board Meeting held in public 9th October. The findings of the independent review and feedback the Board has received during the public consultation were made public . In essence the Board discarded all 8 of the alternative proposals, adulterated the feedback from stakeholders and tweaked the public response figures by 18004 in the board's favour. This isn't what any of us at Bransford expected from the public consultation process. Other NHS Trusts have managed public consultations with transparency and integrity, aspects sadly lacking in this Trust Board's approach. The Board was slammed in the meeting for how it's conducted the public consultation. The decision will be announced 29th November 2007.
Week beginning 1st October
Today marks the end of the part of the public consultation period whereby members of the public and any other interested parties, can state their views and offer alternative proposals that the WMASTB might take into account whilst formulating its decision.
Week beginning 24th September
MHDC reconvened and has formulated its response to the consultation and the draft is now being finalised.
Week beginning 17th September
Control staff attended meetings held in public - Hereford Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Malvern Hills District Council. MHDC decided more time was needed for further discussion of all the points raised in the meeting prior to formulating a decision. MHDC will reconvene next week.
Week beginning 10th September
Mike Foster Labour MP visited Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Control. He has stated he would like to see a West Mercia control room run either from Bransford or Hindlip.
Another meeting with the LibDems to finalise a supplementary submission to the Board.
Communication with the Consultation Board, media and MPs
Week beginning 3rd September
Control staff and Unison attended Health, Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting in Solihull. The unofficial verdict is the HOSC Board believe the consultation was flawed due to only one option being offered. The HOSC Board will be formally responding to the WMAS Consultation Board.
Control staff attended another HOSC meeting in Worcester. The same point was raised along with many others. The Worcester HOSC Board will be submitting its response to WMAS Consultation Board.
Week beginning 27th August
Hereford and Worcester control staff attended the public meeting held in Shrewsbury Tuesday 28th. Over 100 people attended and engaged in a very lively debate/questions and answer session with WMAS Trust Board. At not one of 3 of these public meeting has there been any support for the WMASTB proposal to close either of the two control centres. There is however, unaminous support across the counties to adopt the technology WMASTB proposes for its control centres. Stakeholders, members of the public, MPs and prospective candidates, local councillors and control and operation staff all recognise the necessity to change the existing technology and unreservedly back this aspect of the WMASTB proposal.
A meeting was held at Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Control Wednesday evening between staff and a WMAS senior manager to discuss issues relating to the WMAS proposal.
A meeting with control staff and the LibDems took place later to incorporate amendments to the joint proposal.
A demonstration took place in the vicinity of Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Control Saturday afternoon. Control and operational staff attended along with members of the public. They later spoke with the President of the LibDem party and MP Simon Hughes, parliamentary candidate Richard Burt and local councillor Clive Smith. A WMASTB medical director joined the meeting later.
Week beginning 20th August
Meeting with Independent Review Body.
Media being contacted regularly as are MPs and prospective candidates.
To augement the opposition to the WMAS proposal, an alternative proposal has been submitted to the Consultation Board
Week beginning 13th August
Richard Burt requested a meeting with control staff to consolidate plans for an alternative to the WMAS Trust Board proposal to close Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Control. This took place on Wednesday evening.
Control staff, operational staff and union representatives attended Thursday's public meeting of the WMAS Trust Board at Hereford Town Hall. Also in attendance were members of the public, Hereford Primary Care Trust and its District Commissioner, and conservative parliamentary candidate Harriet Baldwin. The Board were again questioned on the fact that Hereford and Worcester ambulances would be drawn into the Birmingham Black country area diminishing emergency cover in the outlying areas of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. A member of the board agreed this would be the case. Based upon this and other replies that Ms Bladwin found entirely unsatisfactory, she has issued another press release, please see feedback page.
The non-executive director who visited Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Control 22nd June, visited again on Friday with WMAS Trust Board's reply to the 28 points put to it 22nd June. Despite an assurance that a response would be made within 1 week of 25th June it took until 1st August and 2nd August for the various parties to receive their replies. These points, replies and replies to the replies are outlined on the WMAS Press page. One member of the Board has been offended by the claim that at ambulace control we feel the public consultation period is a sham. It was impressed upon the non executive director that the reason ambulance control feel this is the case is because questions we put to the Board are answered unsatisfactorily. Members of the public posing questions to the Board are finding an identical problem. As is Unison. This Board is purported to welcome views and discussion. This Board is using stalling tactics. The aim is simple. Obstructing stakeholders and members of the public from gaining access to information ie costings makes it immensely difficult to present the alternative proposal the Board states it's willing to consider. This fact will also be impressed upon the Independent Review Body visiting ambulance control next week.
Week beginning 6th August
Media being contacted regularly.
Control staff attended meeting in Shrewsbury to support the 3 Shropshire staff who had been suspended, 2 of which now have been re-instated in their posts.
Control staff attended public meeting at Worcester County Hall and put questions to the Board, many of which were answered unsatisfactorily.
Week beginning 30th July
A meeting between Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate Richard Burt and his Secretary, and off duty Ambulance Control staff took place on Wednesday. They were keen to hear why we believe the proposal to close Hereford and Worcester EOC would be so detrimental to the population of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The meeting was held in Malvern. WMAS Trust Board felt unable to allow it to be held in any office at Ambulance Control.
The following day Richard Burt, his Secretary and Photographer visited Ambulance Control and were impressed by what they saw. They spent an hour in the control room then had a meeting with a WMAS representative after which a statement was released to the Press and also sent to this website - please see feedback page.
Off duty ambulance control staff met on Friday in Malvern with MP Mike Foster who had requested a visit to Ambulance Control. One has been arranged for September, no representative from WMAS being available for the Friday visit.
Local cafes are faring quite well from this lack of accommodation on the part of WMAS Trust Board.
Week 4 beginning 23rd July
WMAS have been contacted requesting a response to the 28 points raised by EOC staff during a non-exectutive director's visit th the EOC 3 days prior the Trust Board meeting of 25th June 2007.
A reply was promised within the week, though none has been forthcoming. (This as at Friday 27th 1200)
In the same correspondence another matter has been chased up. Queries arising from the EOC's opposition to the proposals were also assured of the Board's attention and response. There has yet to be any response. The EOC's opposition to the proposals document marked in the minutes of the meeting as "copy enclosed at appendix 1" is missing from the minutes. This has been brought to the Board's attention with the request it be rectified immediately.
A further request has been made as to where the declared interest of executive directors, non-executive directors and associate directors is tabled.
This update is taking place so late in the week due to EOC staff responding to more pressing circumstances - the floods. Please see new posting on home page relating to the flood situation.. Hereford and Worcester EOC proved itself supremely "fit for purpose". All Hereford and Worcetser EOC systems functioned as normal. Brierley Hill CAD system failed on the first day of the floods. More on home page.
A colleague, out for a rearranged appointment, (first appointment cancelled Saturday in order to sleep at work to be sure of being in for a nightshift), found herself chatting to Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, visiting Upton to view the flood damage. The media then wanted to know what had been said so she obliged. Radio Wyvern will be airing her comments on Monday. Worcester News also talked with her.
Week 3 beginning 16th July
The media is still being contacted regularly. Parliamentary candidates are being informed of the proposals. An EOC employee attended a Primary Care Trust meeting as the proposal to close Hereford and Worcester Emeregency Operations Centre was on the agenda. A decision was made to discuss but not consult on the proposals 24th September at their next meeting.
Parliamentary candidate Harriet Baldwin asked to visit the control room and this was arranged for Friday. She saw the EOC in action, the Patient Transport Services Department and also talked to off duty staff. When WMAS press office granted approval for the visit it also made arrangements for Ms Baldwin to meet with the Director of IMT for WMAS and WMAS Director of Clinical Performance.
Week 2 beginning 9th July
Herefordshire and Worcestershire GP surgeries have been contacted.
We are in regular contact with the press. Worcester News have done us proud and their own petition now has in excess of 850 names. Good work! The media has been contacted again with a request to make public the proposal to close Herefordshire and Worcestershire Ambulance Control.
Some appear loathe to raise their heads above the parapet.
Various other professional bodies have been contacted.
Week 1
BBC Hereford and Worcester, Worcester News, Malvern Gazette and Ledbury Reporter, have already sprung into action protesting about the proposed closure. Thank you so much! We should be delighted if the following press offices, who have been approached, could also take up the cause, if they haven't already done so;
Bromsgrove Advertiser, Bromsgrove Standard, Droitwich Advertiser, Droitwich Standard, Evesham Journal, Hereford Times, Hereford and Leominster Journal, Kidderminster Shuttle, Redditch Advertiser, Redditch Standard, Ross Gazette, Ross Journal, Tenbury Advertiser, Worcester Standard and Radio Wyvern. If we've omitted your news publication or radio station, please forward your contact details, preferably email address to:
MPs Michael Foster, Paul Keetch, Julie Kirkbride, Peter Luff, Michael Spicer, Richard Taylor, Bill Wiggin, Jacqui Smith and Ms Fairbrother-Millis and Parliamentary Candidate Harriet Baldwin have all been contacted with the request that they take immediate action. We plan to contact all local councillors, primary care trusts and GP surgeries over the next few days with a similar request for immediate action and support.