Ambulance service criticisms call closure plans into doubt

3.00.00pm GMT Wed 6th Feb 2008

Local MP Tim Farron has expressed his concern at a report from North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust into the performance of the North West Ambulance Service, which states that the service is "the ambulance service is struggling to maintain improvement" when it comes to the issue of administering thrombolysis - the process of giving a patient a 'clot-busting' drug prior to being admitted to hospital.

In light of plans to close the heart unit at Westmorland General, this criticism would seem to heavily support Mr Farron's campaign to reverse the planned-closure.

Tim Farron said:

"I realise that the ambulance service do a very good job in extremely tough circumstances, but the figures show that they are no replacement for a heart unit. For obvious reasons paramedics are reluctant to perform complex procedures in tricky conditions.

"As if there wasn't already an enormous body of evidence against the closure plans, this report just adds further weight to our campaign."