Following the closure of the Bransford Emergency Operations Centre on December 1st, ambulance response times in Worcestershire have been well below targets. Delays have been attributed to the cold weather, the sudden shift of the call centre and the slow turnaround of ambulances at Worcestershire Royal. However, ambulances themselves are still deployed from them same bases in Worcestershire and elsewhere in the region.
Mrs Baldwin's evening on the front line of the ambulance service will allow her to hear from paramedics and crew about their perspective on problems.
Harriett Baldwin said, "I am still receiving a lot of concerns in my post bag from members of the public and from whistle-blowers citing a wide range of problems. The Trust faced an unprecedented increase in life threatening calls this winter. Saturday night is a busy time for our ambulance crews and being with the Pershore crew on the front line will help me understand the challenges they are facing responding to emergencies."