ࡱ>  Root Entry( Jr "`MatOST````MMMN0ND ( JrMicrosoft Works MSWorksWPDoc9quST~A.>dt>2TBritish Ambulance Services (Foresight) Panel C/o 19-21 Bassenhally Road, Whittlesey, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. PE7 1RN  The NHS Executive published in May 2001 a consultative document based on The Vision of eight Ambulance Trusts Chief Executives and Chairmen requesting comments to be returned by September 2001 BASP have received a reply to the consultation from the South East Regional Office of the NHS Executive in that letter dated 22nd October 2001 the following paragraphs should be noted. We have received a very large response to the proposals. They are all being considered carefully before we decide what recommendations to make to ministers on the way forward. I thought that you would be interested to see the enclosed paper entitled next steps following consultation on a proposed restructuring of ambulance trusts. Ruth Carnall Regional Director South East Region. From this document 125 responses were noted: Most of the responders supported the vision of more effective, modern ambulance services. However, few of the responses expressed unqualified support for the proposals. Most expressed the view that the case for the particular configuration of merged Trusts was inconclusive and there was little consensus amongst responders on their reasons for overall lack of support. Yet 12 days earlier on the 10th October 2001 Health Authority Chief Executives met with the Regional Director to consider the outcome of Consultation. It was agreed: That prolonged uncertainty about the future of the trust configuration had a negative impact on the performance of the Trusts boards and their staff, and on public confidence. That shifting the balance of power was an unforeseen development during the consultation period that affected the future of ambulance services, the case for change and capacity to implement change. That there were examples of excellent practice in ambulance services across the region. It was also agreed that although performance improvements had been made, in a majority of existing ambulance trusts national performance targets were not being met, which indicated that the status quo was not sustainable. The Outcome of that Meeting The outcome of the meeting was support to proceed with the proposals in the consultation document i.e. the proposed trust reconfiguration to give effective local management, and region wide confederated working for specified common services and functions, from 2002 . This will be subject to ministerial approval. A region wide project structure will be established to over see the implementation of the proposals and to undertake further work to address the issues arising in section 5.3 of the consultation document, for example the financial implications, and the issues arising from consultation. (BASP Comment from our original submission document) In the past such consultations have resulted in no changes from the outlined and recommended outlines, despite public objections or individual comments. This in the past has resulted in a ramrod approach by the Governments servants and advisers. We contemplate no changes, unless the Secretary of State decides to intervene, and put right, past mistakes in consultation, by taking more notice of tried and tested experience. From the summery of responses: Very few Health Authorities, and at least one Ambulance Trust indicated doubts on the outcome of the proposals or gave unqualified support, and all the Community Health Councils, including the British Ambulance Services (Foresight) Panel opposed the proposals, as we understand many others have also opposed the proposal. It would appear that the ramrod approach has again been undertaken by the Governments servants and advisors, and it is left to the Secretary of State to determine the issue, without any benefit of an alternative proposal being made by those servants and advisors. It would also appear that a decision has already been made on the 10th October, and that the letter of the 22nd October is misleading by stating We have received a very large response to the proposals. They are all being considered carefully before we decide what recommendation to make to ministers on the way forward. BASP would like an answer from the Ministers concerned as to how this has happened, as it is a prime example of the Ramrod Approach and complete lack of consultation currently being undertaken throughout the NHS. The BASP panel agree that the Status Quo situation is not sustainable, but neither are the proposals for amalgamation of existing services in the South East or elsewhere. The BASP panel would strongly recommend that the Minister refuses approval, and that he awaits the proposed (CHI) review of Ambulance Trusts reports due in 2002, and that all ambulance Trusts should be Nationally reviewed throughout England, including those that have already amalgamated, with a view to re-introducing County local Ambulance Services and controls, working in accordance with National agreed principles of best practice for Vehicles, Equipment, and Training which was last reviewed in 1969 (Miller Report) and which has been so successfully eroded by many individual English Ambulance Trust actions and mismanagement throughout the past decade. ~C=de8yoiea]XSX]a]eO]( (     X 'l n~{wrnrnwj{jn{e{nrn_( ( .W~EGhoooaNNO :u :u hj68ce   yyssss W 'jlxzFHo_______________h,-h ./0~I|H XHTimes New Roman ~A.>A.>dCompObjU