New jobs for 'weak' 999 service

GWAS formed from the merger of Gloucestershire, Avon and Wiltshire ambulance services in 2006

Dozens of new jobs are to be created by Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) to help bring it up to scratch.

It follows a report from the Healthcare Commission, which rated the service as weak for the second-year running.

GWAS was formed from the merger of the Gloucestershire, Avon and Wiltshire ambulance services on 1 April 2006.

The jobs announcement came as Forest of Dean councillors called for more realistic ambulance response target times for rural areas.

In August, the ambulance trust was told by the Healthcare Commission to improve its service after it took 42 minutes to dispatch an ambulance to a woman who had been hit by a car and later died.

In April, an elderly patient complained she waited two hours for an ambulance after a fall at home.

The trust said logistical problems and changes in assessment meant it was unable to consistently meet targets over the past year.

Chairman Tony Fitzsimon said: "We have been creating jobs now for the last two years and we are going to up the pace because we've been changing the nature of the service from being simply a mobile response unit into a mobile healthcare operation."

He said he could not put a specific number on the jobs to be created, but "it could run into three figures".

'Unrealistic' target

In Gloucestershire, some Forest of Dean councillors said paramedics could not be expected to reach the bulk of rural emergencies within the target time of eight minutes.

They have called for a new maximum limit of 24 minutes to be introduced.

A report setting out the proposal was being presented to a scrutiny committee of the Forest of Dean District Council on Thursday.

Councillor Terry Hayle said the speed of response varied depending on the remoteness of a location, but the eight-minute rule was too much to achieve for isolated spots.

"They've given figures of 85% for urban areas, semi-urban areas like Coleford, Cinderford and Lydney 75%, rural areas which are out in the sticks a little bit, 60%," he said.

"We think it is unrealistic to expect them in rural areas to get out to that, we're trying to come halfway with them.

"We believe 100% of the calls will be responded to with 24 minutes."