CAMPAIGNERS opposed to proposals to reduce the skills of ambulance crews in the Durham Dales have challenged new claims made by NHS commissioners.

Since 2008 ambulances operating in Teesdale and Weardale have been staffed by two paramedics.

But now the Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield Clinical Commissioning Group wants ambulances in the Durham Dales to be crewed by one paramedic and an emergency care assistant (ECA) and to recruit an extra 14 ECAs.

The CCG argues that this will help to meet the target of 75 per cent of ambulances attending the most time-critical emergencies within eight minutes.

Within DDES the response rate is only 63.25 per cent

Ahead of a series of five public meetings to discuss the proposals, starting with a 5.30pm meeting in Sedgefield Parish Hall on Tuesday September 2, the CCG has posted additional information on its website.

But the posting has been criticised by the Rural Ambulance Monitoring Group, made up of residents in Teesdale and Weardale.

The CCG’s website’s claim that they are not changing the service was simply not true, the spokeswoman said.

“To reduce the clinical skills on the ambulance by 50 per cent is changing the service,” she added.

A claim that using one of a double paramedic crew as a driver is not a good use of their skills is also challenged.

The RAMG spokeswoman said: “Keeping a patient alive during a long journey to hospital is often a huge challenge for paramedics working in a rural setting. Paramedics administering CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) in a moving ambulance soon become exhausted – a double paramedic crew can change over half way through the journey.”

The RAMG also doubts a claim that the proposals will only be implemented after the DDES CCG meets on November 11.

The spokeswoman said: “If this is the case why has implementation already begun? Adverts for recruiting ECAs for the Dales have been posted.”

A spokesperson for NHS Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: “The CCG is not changing the service available to local people, but changing the way the service is delivered.

"The aim of the changes is to improve ambulance response times, for the benefit of the entire population.

"The key change we are supporting is to crew ambulances in the Dales with a paramedic, supported by an emergency care assistant (ECA.”