Union threatens to go on strike
Trade unions representing paramedics have threatened a vote of no confidence against East Midlands Ambulance Service’s chief executive.
Unions GMB and Unison have expressed serious concerns about Phil Milligan’s proposals to close 66 stations throughout the region and replace them with 13 large hubs.
GMB regional officer Colin Todd said EMAS’s Being the Best consultation was ‘misleading to the public’, not backed up with evidence and was likely to worsen an already under-performing service.
He said: “There are so many holes in the plans and many people don’t know how badly it could affect them - it’s scary.”
The unions’ decision to take action follows a barrage of pubic complaints from patients who have waited as long as two hours for ambulances to attend emergency call-outs.
which have prompted councillors to demand drastic improvements.
Staff morale among ambulance staff is also said to be at rock-bottom, which Mr Todd attributes to ‘poor leadership’.
“Staff morale could not get any lower,” he said.
Although Mr Todd said some form of hub system could help improve the service, he felt the way Mr Milligan had devised his current consultation was ‘terrible’ and lacked facts to back it up.
Both unions, which represent a approximately an equal share of ambulance staff employed in the East Midlands, will decided whether to cast their vote of no confidence after meeting tomorrow (Thursday).
Previous votes of no confidence issued by the unions against ambulance chiefs have led to resignations.
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Weather for Market Rasen
Saturday 18 May 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 7 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: West
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