National & International

‘Completely unacceptable’ South Central ambulance shortage

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South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS), has released a board report stating shortages in ambulances in all their covering areas which includes Buckingham.

The report said: “We were often up to 12 to 15 ambulances short, meaning that some crews did not have ambulances at the start of their shifts.

“This is completely unacceptable, and we have initiated a review into how many ambulances we need in total to be sure that we can always supply our staff with the right resources.”

It also blamed increasing 999 calls and the rise in staffing for the shortage.

Paul Jefferies, SCAS assistant director of operations, told  the BBC Radio Berkshire there had been occasions where 45 out 370 vehicles had been unavailable.

He added: “We’re highly-trained professionals, and we make sure our demand is matched by our available resource.”

The SCAS after launching a review will be adding 52 new ambulances in October and an additional 10 in April next year.

 

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