Ambulance bosses accused of 'ruining' lifeline first responder service

Roger Thayne, who launched CFR groups in the county when he was chief executive of Staffordshire Ambulance Service in the late 1990s, says he is appalled at West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) plans to stop enhanced first responders from carrying drugs and using blue lights.

He accused WMAS of “destroying” the scheme, claiming bosses are intent on phasing it out by reducing the ability of CFRs to save lives.

And he said a possible solution was for the responsibility of running the schemes to pass to clinical commissioning groups – or for schemes to take direct calls from the public.

The WMAS plans have prompted anger across the county since they were revealed in the Express & Star last week, with first responders accusing bosses of downgrading the scheme.

Mr Thayne, who now lives in Australia, said he could fully understand their concerns, describing WMAS’s handling of scheme as a “disaster” for Staffordshire.

“This scheme has saved many lives and is very strongly supported by the community wherever it operates. It is axiomatic that the best chance of saving life is by the first qualified and equipped person arriving on scene.

"The CFR scheme should continue as it was first designed, and if WMAS have no interest in managing and supporting it then responsibility should pass to the purchasers of healthcare to contract directly with such local schemes.

“If they do not wish to do so, the CFR schemes could still operate, within the law, by asking their communities to call them, after dialling 999, to request their attendance.

“It is not illegal to act as a good Samaritan, to save a life or to provide care, reassurance and love for a fellow human.

“The NHS should never interfere in this area or aim to restrict it. The NHS belongs to the community, not to those who work within it.

“I doubt that many would agree with ambulance chief executives being paid hundreds of thousands a year and qualifying for massive pensions whilst seeking to reduce the provision of life saving care.”

WMAS spokeswoman Claire Brown, said: "All CFR schemes are managed locally by each scheme, rather by WMAS, and as such each scheme must abide by the governance arrangements as set out nationally and locally.

"The commitment to train 350 CFRs every year moving forward demonstrates our dedication to CFRs, quite the opposite to ‘phasing them out’."

Hands off vital service, MPs warn

Staffordshire MPs have urged ambulance chiefs to reconsider the changes to the community first responder service.

Ambulance bosses say the drugs carried by highly trained ‘enhanced’ CFRs are only used sparingly and that Government legislation expected to come in later this year will block the use of blue lights.

Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant, said: “WMAS should have learned by now that one size does not fit all. What might be appropriate for the urban sprawl of the West Midlands, is very different from the sparsely populated countryside in Staffordshire.

“On the blue lights, the ambulance service should just wait and see what the Government actually legislates before they unilaterally take any action. Jumping the gun like this is neither professional nor appropriate.

"CFRs have saved lives by being able to swiftly administer drugs and West Midlands Ambulance Service should think twice before coming to any hasty conclusions on this.”

The first responder scheme was launched by Mr Thayne with a focus on assisting patients in rural areas where ambulances struggle to get to.

Stone’s Conservative MP, Sir Bill Cash, said he had held serious concerns over the scheme since Staffordshire merged with WMAS in 2007.

“I strongly objected to West Midlands taking over Staffordshire at the time, and I have always had my concerns that something like this would happen,” he said.

“I deeply object to the way West Midlands Ambulance Service are treating the first responders scheme. They are undermining trust in the whole system. I have no confidence whatsoever in West Midlands Ambulance Service.”

WMAS spokeswoman Claire Brown said the service has 38 schemes in rural areas including Shropshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire which have been running "incredibly successfully" for years.

Although none of them operate to the ‘enhanced’ level that some CFRs in Staffordshire operate by, they still save lives on a regular basis, she said.

"The legislation regarding blue lights will come into force this year," she added.

"The Trust is enforcing it earlier in order to bring it in line with the beginning of our training plan, which begins on April 1 each year.

"The Road Safety Act of 2006 substituted section 87 with section 19 in 2006; the legislation which caters for the provision of suitably trained persons.

"The Trust is currently in the process of ensuring all of its blue light users where appropriately trained are completing section 19 assessments."