Minister enters suspension row
Thursday 2nd August 2007, 12:14PM BST.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson has been brought into a row over three Shropshire ambulance service workers suspended from duty over leaked documents, it was revealed today.
The Shrewsbury-based staff were suspended this week pending what the West Midlands Ambulance Trust, which runs the Shropshire service, said was an investigation into a possible breach of the Data Protection Act.
But Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski said today that he fully supported the three workers and had taken up their case in a letter to Mr Johnson.
And union members will also meet early next week to discuss what action they can take in support of their colleagues.
Ambulance technician Steve Jetley produced information at a trust board meeting last week showing that while Shropshire ambulances were being used out of the county in the West Midlands it had taken longer to deal with an emergency call in Shropshire than the standard response time.
Mr Kawczynski said: “I have written to the Secretary of State to express how concerned I am that people have been suspended for merely highlighting a genuine concern and putting it in the public domain. I am totally behind them.”
Mr Kawczynski said he wanted the Secretary of State to lift the suspensions.
A senior representative of the trade union Unison, to which two of the three staff belong, said: “Unison fully supports its members who have been suspended.
“Staff are very angry at what has happened to their colleagues. We feel they have done nothing wrong and that everything they allegedly did was in the best interests of the public.”
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if there are abuses going on in the nhs that are being covered up then those who work in it have a right to expose them without the fear of reprisals from management.its only the managers who have something to worry about when the push comes.
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“It is purely to do with a possible breach of the Data Protection Act,”
Oh Come On Mr. MacGregor. Do you honestly believe that us ‘Joe Soap’ Public believe for one moment that these guy’s have been suspended because of this act?
Patient confidentiality is what would be of concern to anyone looking into such infringements of the act, but none of us believes that disclosing of the whereabouts of our own Ambulance vehicles at anyone time, has any problem being in the public domain.
Bringing to our attention of how your trust is mis-using our own ambulance personel and reducing our coverage in this county in this way, is indeed what is important for us to know.
That we now know, thanks to these guy’s, is really behind these suspensions and has nothing to do with the act to which you refer.
Yes it may have caused the trust embarrassment, GREAT AND SO IT SHOULD! We guessed this would happen once you got your hands on our staff, and how right we were.
These guy’s are to be congratulated for what they have done in bringing this to our attention. Please be aware that we are watching you very closely to see how far you go down this road of finger pointing, and trust that you will accept that an over reaction on your part will do nothing to enhance any confidence in the trusts ability to serve this County as we are entitled to expect.
Come on Shropshire, Let them know they have our support.
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I wonder if the shrophire star could set up a on-line petition to support these suspended personnel,for trying to stand up and tell the public how the West Midlands Ambulance Trust,are actually running the service (or not as the case may be).
I would gladley but my name down to support these exceptional people.
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Can someone correct me if I`m wrong on this.I understand that:
1.At a point in time the Shropshire ambulance service was unable to meet the needs of an emergency call.
2.The West Midlands ambulance Trust issued a statement denying it was due to the lack of vehicles and all Shropshire ambulances were in the county.
3.The documents in question contradict the West Midlands Ambulance Trust statement and indicate 4 Shropshire ambulances were being used in the west Midlands at the time of this emergency.
4. Their absence may have contributed to the failure in meeting the needs of this emergency
If this is correct the investigation must have a wider scope than just disclosure of these documents.
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Agreed, these people had the balls to bring this information to the public’s attention.
Give your readers a chance to let these bureaucrats and politicians know what we think of them!
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Cross border working is fine but not when it depletes such a vast, under resourced rural area. It can sometimes take crews over 30 minutes to get to you due in our really rural parts despite their amazing efforts. If you doubt this-look at a map of Shropshire and plot where all of the stations are. Then ask yourself where the next station is, if the crew from your nearest is already out (quite likely with my nearest station). You will be shocked!
I hear that WMAS now put Care Assistants on frontline ambulances instead of Paramedics and Technicians. These underpayed staff are not clinically trained- therefore deplete the skill level of the crew who will attend your emergency. Yes, they may work with a Technician or Paramedic but they do an advanced driving course and just a week of basic first aid. Again, imagine it’s your dying relative that needs intubating and a chest drain to keep them alive. Just how many hands does a Paramedic have? Reassuring isn’t it…!
We must totally support our frontline ambulance staff!
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another photo opportunity dan get in there .
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SHROPSHIRE STAR EDITORS PLEASE PLEASE LETS HAVE A DEDICATED PAGE FOR THE SHROPSHIRE 3 SO EVERYONE CAN PUT THEIR VIEWS FORWARD AND THE MANAGERS AND PR SPIN DOCTORS AT THE TRUST CAN READ ALL THE COMMENTS!
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It is NOT the place of the ambulance service to investigate breaches of the Data Protection Act.
That is for the Information Commissioner ONLY.
I would seriously advise ANY manager or other member of the staff of the ambulance service who is involved in any alleged “investigation” of another member of staff under the DPA to seek independent legal advice into their OWN legal position before they find themselves in serious trouble with the Information Commissioner.
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Totally agree with ‘let me have my say then’ (above)lets see what the public feel about this farce.
Support these 3 frontline staff…!
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Definately these guys were trying to improve the service, as long as they havent been quoting specific details surely the data protection act shouldnt apply! I show my support for them.
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This is a disgrace, there is no other word that can be used. It is clear that the members of staff highlighted genuine concerns for the health and safety of the public. They are then suspended because they spoke the truth, what does this say about the government both locally and nationally? The Data Protection Act while needed is being used as a censorship tool. This is all part of the run down of NHS and Public Services as a whole prior to privatisation. There is no longer a clear choice in elections, all the parties do the same! We need a new Party to represent common people and not those who have access to millions of pounds to buy votes.
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Reinstate the three members of staff and let the public hold the Chief Executive of the Trust to account for this sorry episode, he should consider his position and resign before the Trust blunders into a further debacle. I do hope no one in the senior management team at WMAS think they will be in line for the Queens Ambulance Medal following this attack on democracy and freedom of speech.
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Possibly not a medal, but the top job in london ambulance service might be up for grabs in a year or two. I can’t see Mr Marsh staying up here much longer than that!!
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