YORKSHIRE AMBULANCE SERVICE OLD VEHICLES POSE A RISK TO THE SAFETY OF THE CREW, TO PATIENTS AND TO GENERAL PUBLIC SAYS GMB

Many of the Ambulance chassis are worn out and unreliable with 250,000 miles being a low mileage with many in excess of this
 
GMB has asked Yorkshire Ambulance Service to review a policy, started in 2002, under which ambulances used in the accident and emergency service are leased in two ways. The chassis are leased for 6 years. The patient saloon box is leased for 12 years.  

GMB members employed as drivers and paramedics by Yorkshire Ambulance Service are seeking a change in policy to get the vehicles used in the service upgraded. Yorkshire Ambulance Service employs 3,900 staff to provide an emergency service to over 5 million people in an area covering 6,000 square miles from 80 locations across Yorkshire.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has a mixed fleet of approximately 1,400 vehicles, ranging from ambulances, high performance response cars, various types of patient transport vehicles and motorcycles and covers both urban and rural areas operating over vastly differing terrain ranging from isolated moors and dales to city centres, large urban areas and coastal stretches. The fleet on average covers twelve million miles per annum. This review sought by GMB relates to ambulances.

Jon Smith GMB Regional officers for drivers and paramedics in Yorkshire Ambulance Services said “Many of the ambulances used are now noisy, uncomfortable and can be dangerous with incidents of doors falling off whilst on the road, heaters commonly failing and ill-fitting doors letting in water and road spray. 

Many of the chassis are worn out and unreliable with 250,000 miles being a low mileage with many in excess of this. The boxes on these vehicles have been modified a number of times to try to make them fit for purpose. As the boxes are leased for 12 years they are taken to Ireland, removed, refurbished and refitted onto new chassis. When they come back they still are noisy and uncomfortable and will very soon show their age again.
 
Vehicles have been in such short supply as old ones are not being replaced by new ones. Vehicles in need of repair or maintenance are often out of service for weeks, if not months, while being refurbished. The record is worst in the north of the trust area.

Vehicles with faults have been, and are being moved out of service for repair but are put back into service at other stations before the repairs are carried out with the staff on these stations being unaware of the faults. This has meant that vehicles en route to emergencies have failed and have had to have a second vehicle sent to carry out the detail thus causing a delay and potential fatal risk to the patient. This has also created a potential risk to the safety of the crew, the patient on board and the public in general.”
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Contact: Jon Smith, GMB Organiser on 07918 905615 or Neil Derrick, GMB Senior Organiser on07958 156832 or GMB Press Office: Steve Pryle 07921 289880 or Rose Conroy 07974 252183.
 
Notes to Editors: 
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust was formed on 1 July 2006 bringing together South Yorkshire Ambulance Service, West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service and the North and East Yorkshire parts of Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service.