Patients "in danger" as police cover for paramedics (From Essex County Standard)

Patients "in danger" as police cover for paramedics

10:59am Friday 25th January 2013 in News

PATIENTS are regularly being taken to hospital by police because of a lack of ambulances in Essex, according to the Essex Police Federation.
 

Officers are putting their careers in jeopardy to save lives with daily trips to hospital rather than waiting, some time for hours, for paramedics to arrive.
 

Mark Smith, chairman of the federation, said: “One example in Essex was a pregnant lady who had been assaulted and was in a lot of pain.
 

“The officer was told an ambulance would be four hours so they felt they had no choice but to take the woman themselves to make sure she and the baby were ok.
 

“But if someone dies as a result of the decision the officer could be suspended or put on restricted duties and there will be a full investigation.
 

“The public has to know what is happening.”
 

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust said: “We recognise the need for back up time improvements and have already revealed plans to address this by putting in place a raft of measures.”

See the full story and reaction from a paramedic in Monday's Gazette.