Ambulance station is vital, says Janice
NEAA 26-09-12 BE 8 Janice Mellors from Newthorpe.
An Eastwood woman who needed urgent medical help after she had a heart attack and her lungs collapsed said the town’s ambulance station was ‘vital’ and should not close.
The fire service turned up at Janice Mellors’ house before paramedics because they were too far away, and the pensioner she says once the ambulance station closes, this will only get worse.
“I really was quite serious. My lungs had collapsed,” she said.
“If we haven’t got our own ambulance station how are they going to get to us?
East Midlands Ambulance Service – closing every ambulance station in Nottinghamshire bar two – said there would be a ‘deployment zone’ in Eastwood for paramedics to be based.
But Ms Mellors, who has several conditions and often needs medical help, remains convinced the plans will mean less ambulances nearby when people need them.
The 65-year-old, of Metcalf Road, said: “If you can imagine waiting for one coming from Heanor or Ilkeston – it doesn’t seem far, but if they get caught up in traffic it’s a long wait.
“We need our own ambulance service. I think every town should have one. I Know its’ cost cutting but it’s a lot to expect. Eastwood is growing. It’s not a little mining village anymore.”
EMAS medical director Dr James Gray said: “The changes are all about improving our performance. Do we spend our money on buildings or frontline services? Do we design services to cut out the waste, so that our clinicians have more time to spend on patient care? There is no direct link between clinical care and ambulance stations because we don’t treat patients in our stations. Ambulances are mobile emergency treatment centres. The more money we can spend on vehicles, and colleagues who work on the frontline, the better.”
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Weather for Eastwood
Friday 24 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 25 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 6 C to 15 C
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