A NORTH-EAST MP has voiced concern at NHS plans to rely on more private ambulances to help meet increased winter demand.

Tom Blenkinsop, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, fears the new rapid response plan announced by the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) may mean a greater reliance on private or volunteer ambulances.

"This new plan comes after a string of incidents where severely injured and ill people have had long waits for an ambulance," he said. "I have read the plan, and one key sentence leaps out ‘ We will enlist additional support from voluntary aid services, such as St John and Red Cross.’”

“This, to me, is worrying as spending on private firms to provide 999 ambulances across swathes of Britain has doubled in three years, with senior medics and safety campaigners saying they fear patient safety is being jeopardised by a heavy reliance on commercial firms or volunteers to answer emergency calls. “

A spokeswoman for the NEAS said: “Organisations such as Red Cross and St John have been used to a greater extent over the last year as a consequence of rising demand and a shortage of paramedics – both of which are national issues.

“The recruitment of more frontline staff is paramount to us and is something we are working on. In the meantime, it is crucial to have extra capacity to ensure we can respond to patients in greatest need. This means we will enlist additional support from those voluntary aid services where necessary.

“We understand Mr Blenkinsop’s concerns and this is a position we would prefer not be in but it is necessary until we have sufficient capacity within the trust.

“This is not all we are doing to increase our resources. Other examples include deploying clinically trained non-operational staff into operations.”