Non Urgent Ambulance Service

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-19883403
So this is it is it ?

I would like to know who else put in a bid for this service and who sat on the panel

If it's a 'blue light' transfer it's urgent and will still be undertaken by paramedics as far as I can tell.

johnb wrote:If it's a 'blue light' transfer it's urgent and will still be undertaken by paramedics as far as I can tell.

Yes we know that but what about the patient being picked up by the bus driver who might have a problem on the way to their appointment will the driver stop his bus and give CPR if needed ?

Some patients (or clients) as they will now be known have underlying problems hence the reason they need to have a medical / surgical appointment, will the bus drivers be put on a "course" will they be made aware of the patients condition medical needs ?

Will they have medical training to transport these "clients" to hospital appointments after all the reason they are going is because they are ill ?

When it all goes wrong jeanie no doubt they will be blaming the untrained medical bus drivers.

So it's no different from the 'Sitting Cars' that used to be used for non-urgent transport in years gone by.

The use of an emergency ambulance as a taxi is a massive waste of resource.

NWAS are not happy at losing this contract because they feel money has been considered before quality of patient care and have petitions and are holding rallies against this decision, they have my full support !

http://www.savemanchesterpatienttransport.org.uk/

On talking to members of the Ambulance service the last couple of days they have asked to pass their concerns and to sign the petition to ;
"Demand that our non-emergency ambulances remain directly within the NHS and not sold of to a private bus company"

www.savemanchesterpatienttransport.org.uk

I was chatting to a PTS ambulance driver who will be affected by this. He isn't happy in principle but is looking forward to getting a new vehicle, but he can't see how Arriva will be able to do this for the money they've bid.

The sad thing is it has already been passed like everything else regarding our healthcare in Rochdale and the rest of Greater Manchester all gone through a nod & a wink , simply because no-one is challenging the system what do we hear from Health Overview & Scrutiny any-more ?
NOTHING

www.savemanchesterpatienttransport.org.uk

Have you signed ?

Jeanie

Posts: 180
Join date: 2012-09-05
Location: Smallbridge Rochdale

No I don't know enough about it to have a knee jerk reaction. The bloke I was talking to didn't seem that worked up about it, although he was unhappy.

Dalelad wrote:No I don't know enough about it to have a knee jerk reaction. The bloke I was talking to didn't seem that worked up about it, although he was unhappy.

If you log on to the link NWAS explain why they think it is wrong Dalelad !

The professionals think it's wrong, good enough for me, the way it's been explained, for me to support their cause.

Jeanie wrote:

Dalelad wrote:No I don't know enough about it to have a knee jerk reaction. The bloke I was talking to didn't seem that worked up about it, although he was unhappy.

If you log on to the link NWAS explain why they think it is wrong Dalelad !

They don't explain anything really, beyond the fact they think its wrong because it's based on cost not quality. Without access to the data, I can't say that the extra x% of quality is worth or not worth the extra x% of cost.

The PTS man I talked to was looking forward to getting a new vehicle if/when it goes ahead, so there must be some investment going in, surely?

All I can say Dalelad I dread the day it affects you and yours.

No need for talk like that Jeanie. I haven't said that I agree or disagree with the decision. I said I don't know enough about it to make a decision. You said that their website would explain why the decision was wrong. I had a look and couldn't see anything that made it clear why.

It's a SITTING CAR for heavens sake. Should never have been in the ambulance service in the first place.

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham condemned this move at the party conference to much applause.

I do think that Mr Bunham is an excellent MP, of good character, but is often, as in this case, struggling to come up with popular comments that are consistent with his party's past actions and inactions.

In 2006, the contract to run ambulance services in Staffordshire were awarded to a private company called Ambuline (now owned by Arriva). The junior health minister at the time in the Labour government, responsible for ambulances, was Andy Burnham himself.

If he had openly admitted this point and said that from experience that the decision was misguided and he would not do it again, then that position may be defensible, but to attack a policy that he himself supported and implemented when in power is inconsistent and a little hypocritical, and leaves us unsure of his own true opinion, and that of his party.

Totally agree. That's what annoys me so much about the Labour Party at the moment. Rightly they condemn many policies but often they had either continued such policies or stared such policies. Nothing wrong in admitting you have done wrong in the past like you say. Mind you, the Lib Dems and Tories do this type of thing when they are in opposition as well.

My position is clear and was always the same when I was in the LP, I am TOTALLY opposed to any private organisation or individual making money out of the health care and education except for salaries, unless it's private health care and education.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/4614010/NHS-cull-fury.html

There is no end to it

I applaud our Ambulance service however I do wish they'd turn off their screeching sirens between Rochdale & Oldham when there is no traffic on the road. Oldham Road sounds like the streets of Miami some days

http://www.savemanchesterpatienttransport.org.uk/

We can't just sit back and again let another service go private