Delayed Peterhead Ambulance Decision Angers MSP

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has reacted angrily to a letter from Scottish Ambulance Service chiefs that it will now be October 2004 before they are in a position to make a decision on the upgrading of Peterhead Ambulance Station to 24-hour status.

Mr Stevenson and local MP Alex Salmond helped secure 24-hour status for Fraserburgh Ambulance Station and were advised by ambulance chiefs that Peterhead – as the busiest part-time station in the country, then second only to Fraserburgh – would be upgraded the following year.

At a meeting in Edinburgh, the Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service then advised that he would be in a position to make a decision on when the upgrade would take place by March 2004.

Mr Stevenson commented:

“I am extremely angry that a promise originally made by the Scottish Ambulance Service for March 2004 now appears to be moving to late 2004, which does not even have the certainty of the previous commitment.

“This is particularly unacceptable when out-of-hours cover for GP services is about to undergo a period of change. It is likely that the ambulance service and paramedics will have to play a much bigger role in providing cover overnight and at weekends.

“This strongly reinforces the need for 24-hour cover at Peterhead Ambulance Station and I would have expected this to have injected some urgency into the situation, rather than it being placed on the back-burner.

“I am sure that the ambulance staff, who continue to do an exceptional job under these difficult circumstances, will be extremely disappointed at this latest announcement by the Chief Executive and I fully intend to take the matter further. I will now be seeking a meeting with the Minister for Health.”