Ambulance trust supports shake-up

A plan for Cumbria's ambulance control room to stop taking 999 calls has received further backing.

The North West Ambulance Service Trust wants to reduce the number of control centres coordinating services from four to three.

The reshuffle will see the calls redirected from Carlisle control to a facility at Broughton, near Preston.

At a meeting on Wednesday, the trust's board approved the business case for the shake-up.

Call handlers

The trust says the planned changes will not be implemented until next summer.

The Carlisle site, which employs 24 people, will continue to control patient transport services and there will be no redundancies.

Critics argue the new system could cause delays in ambulance response times as call handlers may not know local geography.

A detailed discussion paper will be issued to staff and stakeholders on Monday.