Monday 22nd April 2013 – 10.25am – Chris Kowalik.
An ambulance station in Warwickshire is about to be put up for sale as part of West Midlands Ambulance Service’s ‘Make Ready’ plans.
The Make Ready programme will see the creation of two 24/7 fleet maintenance hubs where dedicated teams of Ambulance Fleet Assistants prepare, service and maintain the fleet of ambulances. The hubs are currently being built in Ibstock Road, Coventry and in Tournament Fields, Warwick.
Most of Warwickshire’s remaining traditionally owned ambulance stations are due to be sold and replaced by a new network of Community Ambulance Stations which will be leased rather than owned. The new stations will be lower maintenance with resultant lower running costs and will be greater in number.
The following station is due to be advertised as for sale:
Dordon ambulance station, Watling Street, Dordon B78 1TE – offers invited in the region of £475,000. Alternative provision is being planned; details of which will be announced in due course. The current station will not be vacated until new premises have been established.
‘Make Ready’ was implemented by the former Staffordshire Ambulance Service fifteen years ago, making it one of the most successful ambulance services with some of the fastest response times in England.
The aim of the hubs is to cut down on ambulance crew ‘downtime’; time when the crew are dealing with issues such as cleaning their vehicle or restocking – time when they are not able to respond to medical emergencies.
‘Make Ready’ is also proven to significantly reduce the waste of out-of-date drugs and supplies. It also reduces spending on aged and expensive ambulance station buildings. The money saved is channelled into frontline ambulance provision.
The ‘Make Ready’ system will be fully in place later this year.
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