£30m ambulance contract as effective as sticking plaster on wound, says UNISON

Commenting on the new £30m contract awarded by NHS England to St John Ambulance in an attempt to ease pressure on the ambulance service, UNISON ambulance lead Alan Lofthouse said: “Th​is move ​is not what an under-pressure NHS needs. It will be about as effective as sticking a ​tiny plaster on a gaping wound. “Putting additional non-NHS ambulances on the road without ​tackling the staffing crisis or the lack of capacity in A&E departments will mean even longer vehicle queues ​outside hospitals. “The money ​would have been far better spent investing in pay, staffing, services and social care, so patients don’t have to wait hours to be seen and then can be sent home safely to recover.” Notes to editors: -UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors. Media contacts: Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: F.ayad@unison.co.uk The article £30m ambulance contract as effective as sticking plaster on wound, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: News Press release alan lofthouse Ambulance Source Type: news