DEPUTY mayor of Okehampton the Rev Mike Davies has spoken from personal experience about the vital importance of overnight medical and ambulance cover in Okehampton. Three weeks ago, Mr Davies was rushed into hospital with chest pains, where from his hospital bed, he followed the debate about the loss of 24-hour ambulance cover and Okehampton Hospital?s overnight doctor, with great interest. Mr Davies, who arrived arrived home last week after two weeks in Derriford Hospital?s cardiac ward, said: ?Initially, being hit with severe chest pains at around 5am, an ambulance from Okehampton arrived at my home within minutes of my wife dialling 999. ?I was taken immediately to Okehampton Hospital and the overnight doctor immediately carried out an ECG and asked the ambulance crew to take me to Derriford. Both of these services will not be available at such an hour in the future.? Mr Davies added: ?I have utmost praise and admiration for the ambulance crew and the staff at Okehampton Hospital but it now concerns me that Okehampton, and surrounding district, will be losing such valuable cover during the night hours. ?The point of a 999 emergency service is immediate response. If we are to be covered from Exeter, I wonder how many will just not have those added minutes to wait for an ambulance and a doctor.? Changes proposed by the Westcountry Ambulance Trust would leave the town without front-line ambulance cover between 2am and 6am. During these hours, Okehampton would be served by a single-crewed rapid response vehicle, which would be unsuitable for transporting a patient to hospital. Mid Devon Primary Care Trust is also set to withdraw the facility of an on-duty doctor at Okehampton Hospital between 11pm-8am. Mr Davies is now back at home and has been given an all clear by doctors following a series of tests.
