Petition grows for more ambulances for Bridgnorth

The online petition was set up by Bridgnorth campaigner Paul Passant after officials at West Midlands Ambulance Service admitted they do not have the resources to provide sufficient ambulance cover across Shropshire.

Last Christmas Mr Passant handed over a 2,000 signature petition to Ludlow MP Philip Dunne calling for Bridgnorth to get a better service.

He launched the campaign after an ambulance to treat his then six-week-old grandson Thomas was delayed. Mr Passant, who attended a private meeting with WMAS officials to discuss the issue on Monday, said despite promises to improve the service it had actually got worse during the course of the year.

WMAS officials have welcomed the petition, and said they hope it will lead to a rise in funding to improve services across the county.

Earlier this week the WMAS announced it planned to recruit 110 extra paramedics across the region by the end of January.

Mr Passant said: "Bridgnorth is still third in line to move ambulances into the area. That is, of course, if they are not required in Telford or Shrewsbury. I have received correspondence from staff at West Midlands Ambulance Service that morale is very low and this should be looked at. We, as a campaign, get daily correspondence about the lack of ambulances in Shropshire.

"We want an assurance that, should a major incident occur, funding will be available to provide sufficient resources for such incidents."

Murray MacGregor, spokesman for WMAS, said ambulance chiefs wrote to health commissioners in Shropshire almost two years ago outlining the additional funding necessary to allow them to provide an adequate level of service.

Mr MacGregor said: "The reality is that there are simply not enough ambulances in Shropshire. Recent cases have shown exactly why additional funding is required". To join the petition visit http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/56393