Ambulance station plans put on hold

Controversial plans to close ambulance stations have been put on hold - so East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) can concentrate on improving response times.

Under their Being the Best proposals, which were agreed by the trust last March, EMAS are planning to build a new ambulance station at an as yet undisclosed location in the High Peak, alongside community ambulance stations in Buxton, Chapel-en-le-Frith and New Mills.

But the plans have been put on hold by the organisation’s new chief executive Sue Noyes.

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She said: “In October 2013, we took the decision to pause our long-term estates strategy to allow us to concentrate on our Quality Improvement Plan- Better Patient Care, and manage winter pressures.

“We are continuing to introduce Community Ambulance Stations (CAS’s), across the East Midlands, through working in partnership with other emergency services, NHS and local authority providers, and we are planning to have many of these implemented by this summer.

“Following the pause in our longer term estates strategy, we are now reviewing the position, to ensure that our future plans will allow us to deliver the better patient care that we want to provide.”