Prospective Conservative MP for Brigg and local Councillors Carl Sherwood and Nigel Sherwood have slammed proposals by the East Midlands Ambulance Trust to axe the Ambulance in Brigg and replace it with fast response cars instead. The proposals are also being opposed by Brigg Town Council and have been criticised by local doctors.
Councillor Nigel Sherwood explains, “We became aware of rumours regarding the future of the ambulance recently and immediately wrote to the Ambulance Trust seeking assurances about the future of the ambulance.
We are therefore totally shocked to discover that those rumours have turned out to be correct and that Brigg will now lose its only ambulance. Residents will recall that up until a few years Brigg had its own Ambulance Station, and we are now seeing a further reduction in the cover offered to local residents.
If these changes go ahead there will be no vehicle based in Brigg with a stretcher on board and my concern, which is shared by local doctors, is that this change is being driven more by Government targets on response times that it is patient care.”
Prospective Brigg MP Andrew Percy adds, “The Ambulance Trust have explained that these changes are being proposed as a result of Government reviews. Residents quite rightly want to know that when they ring for an ambulance, there will be one available locally.
"I also agree very strongly with the comments of Brigg Town Council who have criticised the lack of consultation over these proposals. The East Midlands Ambulance Trust do not even mention the changes on their own website.”
Cllr Carl Sherwood adds, “Nobody would object to the use of the fast response vehicles so long as the local Ambulance was retained too. Sadly, this is not the case and that is why it is important we do all we can to fight to keep our local Ambulance here in Brigg.”