A campaign has been launched after the future of Paignton’s Ambulance Station was thrown into doubt.
Paignton Ambulance Station, on Totnes Road in the heart of Paignton, can house four emergency ambulances, which are regularly crewed and deployed from this location.
The Ambulance Station is currently located in a building rented by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWAFT) which is shared with St John Ambulance. It has been revealed this building will no longer be available for their operational use beyond September this year, as the lease is due to end and will not be renewed.
With no confirmed plans to relocate the Ambulance Station, its resources or staff to an alternative site within Paignton, significant concerns about potential impacts on local response times, especially during the busy summer season, are being raised.
Commenting Kevin Foster said: “The loss of an ambulance station in Paignton could have a significant effect on patient safety and increase response times with longer journeys from stations further away. NHS bosses should at look at other options in Paignton to maintain their presence, including sites owned by Torbay Council, rather than abandon having an ambulance station in the heart of Paignton.”
“This potential closure coming so soon after the dreadful news Torbay Hospital’s much needed rebuild was being delayed by Labour Ministers for a decade, is another blow to local health services.”
Residents, business and all those concerned about the loss of the Ambulance Station can sign a new petition to “Save Paignton Ambulance Station” by following this link:
https://www.kevinjfoster.com/campaigns/save-paignton-ambulance-station
A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT), said: “We lease the site where Paignton Ambulance Station is located, and we were recently informed by our landlord that they intend to sell the building.
“We have not been given a confirmed date of when we need to vacate the site, so we are currently looking at alternative arrangements.
“Our ambulance resources respond to patients from within the community, rather than from a station, this means they are better located to help support the needs of all residents across the region.”
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