Tuesday 17 November 2009

More Problems for South Central Ambulance Service and Bracknell Healthcare Cover

Get Bracknell here (The Standard, Bracknell) have reported on the staffing problems at the Bracknell branch of the South Central Ambulance Service, which added to the Bracknell Blog report here where the independent Care Quality Commission had reported South Central Ambulance Service as "weak".

I think these two issues are related as Staff shortages could be effecting cover. In that mix you can also add the Heatherwood funding issues and the current lack of a Bracknell Hospital/Healthspace. The Ambulance Service is extremely key in Bracknell because the major hospitals (Frimley, Slough and Reading) are that much further away, therefore the journey times are longer.

We really need to see improvements in the local healthcare service because the people of Bracknell are not being well served well enough by the current developing situations at Heatherwood and South Central Ambulance Service. The pay scales for ambulance staff are an issue. The Pay Rates should be increased as we are simply paying for extra staff cover through private crews who cost the tax payer more money anyway. These issues need to be joined up and viewed as a whole.

5 comments:

  1. We are also very concerned about the performance of this service as it affects people in Reading, so we have invited senior officers from the Trust to appear before the (cross party) Housing,Health and Community Care Scrutiny Panel (which I chair).

    There is too little accountability in local health services so we need to use what limited powers we have in local government to get answers.

    The meeting will be held on 2 December at 6.30pm at the Civic Offices in Reading.

    Members of the public are welcome to put questions to the Trust if they contact RBC's committee services team in advance.

    I would urge you to ask members of your local health scrutiny committee to do the same in your area.

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  2. Thanks Daisy I think I can attend this one so I will see you there, I will blog a reminder near the time

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  3. i work in the ambulance service and am based at bracknell. we are currently running at 40% of staff. All of us love our jobs passionately but our good will is being abused. we are all shattered and are fed up having our shifts changed so we have little chance of a life. add that to the fact that a degree paramedic earns less than a newly qualified fireman and far less than a police officer, why would anyone want to join this job

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  4. Anonymous - Thanks for the post, its great to here from you. I agree pay and shift hours are the most important issues. They should sit down and listen to you, and then act on it.

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  5. I find it sad that intelligent medical professionals cannot spell!
    Affecting and Hear!!!!!

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