Ambulance Cuts Plan ‘Totally Unsustainable’

GMB Scotland warns Caithness ambulance cuts plan ‘totally unsustainable’

GMB Scotland has today (Tuesday 28 February) warned Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) chiefs that plans to cut on-call services across Caithness are ‘totally unsustainable’.

On call services currently based in Bettyhill, Thurso and Wick are facing a reduction in the number of ambulances from three to two, with the introduction of a Paramedic Response Unit (PRU) to backfill the loss.

However, over-stretched paramedics have expressed serious concerns about the future of service delivery for disparate local communities against the prospect of further cuts. 

GMB Scotland Organiser Karen Leonard said: “These plans to further reduce the already meagre ambulance service should set alarm bells ringing across Caithness - these proposals for the future delivery of emergency response are totally unsustainable.

Let’s be clear that this will only impact public safety, heap further pressure on a workforce being pushed beyond its limits and cannot be conducive in any way, shape or form to help save lives.

Our ambulance service has been stripped to the absolute bare bones. The communities of Caithness deserve so much better and our members need so much more investment and support than they get for the crucial service they provide.

Quite simply the Scottish Ambulance Service needs to think again.”

ENDS

Contact: GMB Scotland Organiser Karen Leonard on 07718 112031 or Peter Welsh, GMB Scotland Communications, on 07976 047077.