Fire crews' concern for patients

A crew from Tonypandy had to transport an injured man last month

Firefighters say lives are being put at risk because fire engines are being used to transport patients to hospital when no ambulances are available.

In the last six months in south Wales, fire engines have been called out six times to take people to hospital.

The latest case involved an 84 year-old man suffering from hypothermia.

The Fire Brigades Union is warning firefighters are not qualified or equipped to deal with medical emergencies.

On one occasion in December, firefighters from Tonypandy in Rhondda were called to take a man seriously injured in a road accident to hospital because there were no ambulances available.

Some of the fire crew had to sit on the floor of the cramped cab without seatbelts while they transported the victim the 12 miles to hospital.

'A laugh'

Cerith Griffiths of the Fire Brigades Union condemned the move: "Firstly the personnel aren't trained to deal with these emergencies, secondly the fire engines aren't suitable to convey patients in, and thirdly it depletes fire cover for that community for the time it takes to convey the patient to hospital."

Vanessa Bourne, from the Patients Association, said the Welsh Ambulance Service was in danger of becoming "a laugh" to the rest of the United Kingdom.

She added: "It cannot be right that this is happening".

South Wales Fire Service said taking patients to hospital was not their responsibility and their vehicles were not designed for that purpose.

It is the same situation in north Wales, but in mid and west Wales firefighters are part of a scheme to provide cover in rural areas.

However, the firefighters there trained and carry the necessary equipment.

The FBU's Cerith Griffiths said fire cover was depleted by the move

Investment

Shadow health minister Jonathan Morgan AM called for major investment in the ambulance service.

"We need to invest in the right level of computer equipment because we don't know where ambulances are in an emergency," he said.

"If we did that then ambulances would get there a lot quicker. And also too many ambulances are sitting around outside hospitals because the patients are stuck in the back of them."

The Welsh Assembly Government said that on occasions all ambulances will be deployed on emergency calls and that it expects all emergency services to work together and support each other to ensure people get the care they need.

The Welsh Ambulance Service has yet to respond to the concerns raised by the firefighters.