Ken condemns London Ambulance Service cuts

UNISON News

Today the London Ambulance Service confirmed 890 jobs are being cut, including 560 front-line posts. Ken Livingstone said:

“One year ago David Cameron promised Londoners, ‘I will protect front-line services’. Today the London Ambulance Service are saying that 890 jobs are to go including, by their own estimate, 560 front-line posts. London’s NHS feels like it is under siege.

‘London’s ambulance staff do an amazing job under great pressure often in very difficult circumstances, saving hundreds of lives a year.

‘I believe it is crucial that Londoners know there will be an immediate response when they dial 999 and that the capacity of the Ambulance Service to keep Londoners safe is not being compromised by the cuts and broken promises of this Conservative-led government.”
Ends.

 

Notes:
1.        On 21st March Ken Livingstone and Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary John Healey MP launched a campaign to save the NHS in London from Conservative-led government cuts.
More: www.savelondonsnhs.com
2.        The Evening Standard have reported:

‘The move comes as a “crucial” time target for 999 calls was recently scrapped. Under the new system which came into force on April 1, paramedics attending serious but non-life-threatening cases will no longer have to respond within 19 minutes.’

‘London Ambulance Service chief executive Peter Bradley said today: “Unfortunately we are not immune to financial pressures facing the NHS.”

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23940772-560-frontline-ambulance-jobs-axed-in-london.do