NORTH Wiltshire MP James Gray has spoken out against plans to move the Wiltshire emergency call centre from Devizes to Bristol.
During yesterday's Questions to the Secretary of State for Health, he said: “Many Ambulance trusts are indeed doing extremely well due to localism in the ambulance service."
Mr Gray also argued that there was a risk that the local service for people in Wiltshire would suffer if the emergency call centre was moved to Bristol.
In a letter to the Interim Chief Executive of Great Western Ambulance Service, Ken Wenman, Mr Gray further outlined his vociferous opposition to the ‘regionalisation’ of the Ambulance Service which is inherent in the amalgamation of GWAS with the South West Ambulance Service.
Mr Gray said: “We in Wiltshire are uniquely fortunate in having a call out centre for the three emergency services co-located in Devizes and the proposed withdrawal of this centre will inevitably mean a poorer service for my constituents in rural North Wiltshire.
“I have always believed, and will continue to argue, that a Wiltshire-based ambulance service with a Wiltshire call out centre serving Wiltshire people is best placed to serve my constituents.
“An ambulance service supposedly covering the whole of the South West region from Cheltenham to the Isles of Scilly and with a call out centre in Bristol spells an end to any kind of pretence at a local ambulance service. We might as well call it a day and create a national service covering the whole of England.”
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