OSWESTRY will lose its ambulance station as part of major changes to the way the service is run in Shropshire.
West Midlands Ambulance Service is creating two new ambulance ‘hubs’ in Shrewsbury and Donnington, closing six traditional stations across the county and replacing them with community ambulance stations as part of a ‘Make Ready’ programme.
In Oswestry the ambulance station, on Morda Road, is to be put up for sale with the service’s base in the town moving into the Primary Care Centre on Gobowen Road.
And there have been assurances that coverage of the area will be closely monitored over fears that the service is being downgraded. County Councillor David Lloyd said the former railway building was fast becoming a true centre for health care for the area.
He stressed councillors would be keeping a close eye on ambulance coverage under the new system, particularly the England/Wales cross border coverage.
“There has been anxiety over whether we will continue to have an ambulance presence in Oswestry. I am pleased that the service is moving its base to the primary care centre which is becoming a ‘supermarket of health care’ for the area.”
Ambulance service spokesman, Mr Chris Kowalik said: “We will be moving to the Primary Care Centre. We would intend to move there in the Autumn but I can’t give a
specific date just yet. Between now and then we’ll announce the putting-up-for-sale of Oswestry ambulance station.”
The ambulance service’s Make Ready programme involves the creation of 24/7 fleet maintenance hubs where a dedicated team of ambulance fleet assistants prepare, service and maintain the fleet of ambulances.
Ambulance crews will collect their ‘made-ready’ vehicle at the start of their shift and travel to one of the Community Ambulance Stations from where they respond to 999 calls.