New ambulance service hub for Shrewsbury will be in business park
West Midlands Ambulance Service this week confirmed the location of its new vehicle maintenance and preparation hub in Shrewsbury.
The hub will be based at Abella Business Centre, Mercian Close and will also act as an ambulance station, one of four in the county town; the other three, all of which will be new Community Ambulance Stations, are planned for the Battlefield Enterprise Park, Oxon Business Park and Alaska Business Park.
The building in Mercian Close will be refurbished to create an ambulance station, offices, a training room, vehicle workshop and ‘Make Ready’ preparation bays. Due for completition in the Autumn, the new hub in Mercian Close will replace the current ambulance station in Abbey Foregate which will be put up for sale.
The changes are part of West Midlands Ambulance Service’s plans to introduce ‘Make Ready’ which will see two fleet maintenance and preparation hubs in the county, the other is already in operation at the refurbished ambulance station in Wrekin Drive, Donnington.
Barry McKinnon, West Midland Ambulance Service’s Area Manager for Shropshire, said: “We are moving to a new system which relates to centralised hubs where we will store a greater resilience of vehicles, equipment and staff who are able to be deployed across the whole of Shropshire.
“There’s a multitude of benefits that we are looking towards. Efficiency is one of the reasons, but it’s not the primary marker. We are looking at efficiency in rotation of medical supplies, the benefits associated with being able to clean and maintain vehicles to a higher standard on a regular basis and the management of medicines, drugs and equipment.
“If everything goes to timescale, we are looking to move in at the end of October or beginning of November. We won’t move out of the Abbey Foregate site until the new premises is ready – and then we will put the Abbey Foregate site up for sale.”
The hubs will provide ambulances to respond from a new network of Community Ambulance Stations across the county. Previously, there were seven traditionally owned ambulance stations, most of which have been put up for sale. ‘Make Ready’ will see 13 Community Ambulance Stations in addition to the two hubs (in Shrewsbury and Donnington) which will also act as ambulance stations.
The current level of ambulance cover in Shropshire will be maintained, but the ambulance service provided for county will increase overall with the introduction of Community Paramedic schemes in seven towns.
Dedicated to their respective areas, Community Paramedics are paramedics with additional training in advanced patient assessment and procedures.
They will be able to treat many more patients at the scene rather than them being conveyed to an A&E Department.
In addition to responding to 999 calls, the role of the Community Paramedics will be to liaise with other areas of health and social care and ensure the population they serve receive the best health service possible, while ensuring the ambulance service through 999 is used appropriately.
Market Drayton, Tweedale, Bridgnorth and Ludlow each have a team of five Community Paramedics to providing 24/7 cover. In October, Community Paramedics will go live in Craven Arms, Oswestry and Whitchurch.
The ‘Make Ready’ system is expected to be fully in place in Shropshire this autumn.
