Sheffield ambulance station closures part of £10m-plus improvement to service, bosses say
Stations at Batemoor, Middlewood and Longley will be axed - in favour of a combined station at Attercliffe.
Sheffield councillors have been told that planned city ambulance station closures are part of a move to improve the service for patients and staff.
If the proposal is approved by the NHS, Yorkshire Ambulance Service will close its emergency ambulance stations at Batemoor, Middlewood and Longley and open a new central station in Amberley Road, Attercliffe.
Ambulances will also operate from standby points across the city and South Yorkshire.
Committee chair Coun Ruth Milsom said that closure is a “scary word”, particularly in relation to NHS services. She said the job of the committee is to take a step back from any knee-jerk reaction and scrutinise the plans.
Yorkshire Ambulance service chief executive Peter Reading told Sheffield City Council’s health scrutiny sub-committee today (July 9): “We do understand the significance of the word closure, because if we do take this forward we will be closing some buildings but we won’t be closing services.”
He stressed improvement and investment, adding: “We do hope that we’ll persuade you we’re doing the right thing.”
Mr Reading said the three city ambulance stations are no longer fit for purpose but also could not be expanded.
He said that only one in three ambulances is dispatched from ambulance stations, usually at the start of a shift or after meal breaks.
Otherwise 999 ambulances head straight from one job to another, drive around areas such as the city centre where they might be needed or leave from standby points.
He said the NHS has earmarked £10m for the proposals. Proceeds from the sales of four buildings, including the ambulance fleet garage, could add several million pounds.
The process could take up to two years, six months.
Deputy head of operations Beth Vernon said ambulance stations are rundown and overcrowded. Staff on breaks have to take turns using tables to eat or sit on a sofa.
A new centre would give staff private space they do not have now to talk with colleagues and mentors about the stresses of the job, she said.
One staff assessment had to take place in the back of an ambulance.
“When they’ve been out and about to that traumatic job, they can have a conversation about what they’ve seen, how they feel, what we can improve for next time.
“There would be suites to practise skills they don’t use very often out on the road,” plus access to trainers.
Staff parking is another issue that would be resolved, said Ms Vernon. Staff in Longley have faced violence and aggression over street parking and then had to walk to their cars at 2am.
Coun Sophie Crossthorn referred to a LibDem ‘Save our ambulance stations’ petition she had launched. It calls for public consultation and airs fears about increased response times.
It was criticised by Coun Milsom in a press statement as “classic misinformation” and “ill-informed”.
Coun Crossthorn said: “We are making sure that people feel heard and responded to, particularly at a time when independent NHS watchdog Healthwatch is being stripped out.”
She said people are worried that the central station could be up to 11 miles from where they live.
Assistant chief operating officer Adam Layland said: “This is not a cost-cutting exercise. There are no redundancies planned – we are working with staff to help them keep doing the excellent job they already do.”