PROPOSED changes in ambulance crew hours were this week slammed by West Devon and Torridge prospective Tory candidate Geoffrey Cox, who claimed they were ?ill thought through?. Mr Cox visited Okehampton Ambulance Station and talked to paramedics. They say the changes would leave the town without front-line ambulance cover between 2am and 6am. The crews are also concerned about cover during new statutory meal breaks. Mr Cox said: ?The message seems to be from Westcountry Ambulance Trust: If you get ill in Okehampton and the surrounding areas, don?t do it between 2am and 6am or in meal breaks. ?These ill thought-through cuts in services will hit rural communities as far as Holsworthy. The paramedics, who do such a fantastic job, were very concerned, and so am I.? Mr Cox said he was very concerned that professional paramedics would be replaced by first-aiders during meal breaks. Ian Hopkins, branch secretary for UNISON, last week told the Times that the union was very concerned about the proposed changes and the impact they could have on patient care. Negotiations with the ambulance trust were still ongoing regarding the changes, he said. Westcountry Ambulance Trust say under their ?Agenda for Change? proposals, more ambulance resources would be provided across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset to respond to 999 calls. Under the proposals, Okehampton would be served by a single-crewed rapid response vehicle during the hours of 2am until 6am. The trust says it is confident patients in need of an ambulance for life-threatening situations will continue to receive a quality emergency service from its staff.
