Joint statement from Unison and GMB regarding the Response Time Clock Start Changes to be announced on 16th May 2012

Branch News LAS News

Both Unison and GMB welcome the changes to the clock start announced today.

The changes will maintain and ultimately improve the response times for the most critically ill and injured patients. In addition they will give our control room staff up to an additional 60 secs to gain more information from 999 callers to ensure that more appropriate decisions can be made on the type of resource to send.

The existing arrangements whilst introduced for all the best intentions often lead to ambulances being dispatched as soon as the address is known and have resulted in too many cancellations for ambulance crews and too many unnecessary multiple responses where more than one vehicle is despatched on the call. This is very frustrating for ambulance staff who are facing increasing workloads and is wasteful of resources.

It will be welcomed by all front line operational staff both in our control room and on front line and will be seen as a very sensible change designed to improve patient care and the working arrangements for staff.

 

Eric Roberts

Branch Secretary

London Ambulance UNISON

LAS Staff Council Trade Union Secretary

 

Mick Butler

Senior GMB Representative

Branch President