Call for rethink on Ambulance Station closure backed by Council

At a meeting on Tuesday night Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council backed a motion by Liberal Democrat Councillors Michael Mullaney (Hinckley, Trinity) and David Inman (Burbage, Sketchley, Stretton) calling on the Ambulance Service to rethink plans to close the town's Ambulance Station.

Many people in Hinckley and the surrounding area are worried that the loss of the Ambulance station could hit ambulance response times locally. Concerns have also been raised by Unions, representing the ambulance workers, who have claimed that the plans to close 66 Ambulance stations across the East Midlands and replace them with just 13 new "Hubs" could put lives at risk.

Proposing the motion Cllr Michael Mullaney said "Local residents are opposing the plans. Hundreds of people have signed petitions opposing the closure of Hinckley Ambulance Station.

"Many of us still need to be convinced by the proposals. That is why we asked East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), in this motion, to come to Hinckley and I hope they will come and meet with local people to discuss their plans for the ambulance service and to hear local people's views.

"There are a number of questions that we would like EMAS to answer. How will removing Hinckley's ambulance station so that the nearest "Hub" will be in Leicester improve response times for residents in and around Hinckley?

"The Hinckley urban area, including Burbage, Barwell and Earl Shilton has one of the largest populations in Leicestershire. Why is so large a population to be left without an Ambulance Station or a replacement Hub under Emas plans? And there are many more questions.

"EMAS say that their proposals to close ambulance stations and move to the "Hub" system will improve ambulance response times in rural areas. But the unions representing the workers are opposing the closures, they claim that moving to the hubs might improve response times in the areas around the hub, but make them worse the further people got from the Hub. Which if it is the case is not good news for Hinckley and many villages which are a fair distance from the planned Hub in Leicester.

"I'm glad the Borough Council backed the motion calling on EMAS to rethink its plans to close hinckley Ambulance Station. If EMAS are going to convince people that their plans are right they must provide more convincing evidence to people".