Ambulance service launches consultation (From The Northern Echo)

Ambulance service launches consultation

2:25pm Thursday 4th June 2009

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ONE of the region’s ambulance services is launching a three month period of public consultation on whether it should become an NHS foundation trust.

All of the main NHS hospitals in the North-East and North Yorkhsire have become foundation trusts in recent years.

Becoming a foundation trust allows the organisation’s greater control of their finances and encourages local people to get more involved in the running of the trust.

The first in the region to follow suit is the North East Ambulance Service.

Today (FRI) marks the beginning of a formal three month period of consultation into the trust’s application, which will include a series of public meetings.

The move by the NEAS has been personally endorsed by the Darlington MP Alan Milburn, who developed foundation trusts when he was Health Secretary five years ago.

Mr Milburn said: "The reason I set up Foundation Trusts was to make sure that local people could have a far greater say over their local health service."

In a DVD, which will be shown at public meetings, Mr Milburn says: "We’re very lucky in the North-East because we already have one of the very best ambulance services in the country. It really is a life saver and one of the best ways that people can give their support to the fantastic staff providing these services is to join the Foundation Trust and become a member."

Public meeting venues include: Darlington Dolphin Centre, July 9th; Middlesbrough Training and Learning Centre, July 16th, Chester-le-Street Riverside Cricket Club, July 21st, Barnard Castle Jersey Rooms, July 30th and Peterlee Old Brewery on August 6th. All meetings start at 6pm.

More details are available by visiting neambulance.nhs.uk A spokeswoman for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service said they were "working towards" an application for trust status.

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