An ambulance station serving most of rural Kirklees could be reduced to one ambulance as part of shake-up of services.

Honley Ambulance Station, which serves the Holme, Colne and Dearne valleys, currently has an average of two ambulances per day.

There are three from 10am to 6pm, two from 6pm to 2am and one from 2am to 8am.

But the already stretched service could be reduced to one ambulance per day as part of a ‘comprehensive review’ of services by Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS).

The current system

10am-6pm

3

6pm-2am

2

2am-8am

1

Yorkshire Ambulance Service

Honley Ambulance Station currently has two rapid response vehicles in additional to the ambulances – but this would also be reduced to one.

Additional round-the-clock cover would be provided by Huddersfield Ambulance Station, opposite Greenhead Park, five miles away, YAS chiefs said.

The plan, which would also reduce station staff by 40%, has been slammed by employees.

The proposed cut

1

No. of ambulances at Honley per DAY

Yorkshire Ambulance Service

A Honley-based paramedic told the Examiner: “We feel that the proposal will compromise further the emergency cover and care that the ambulance service provides for our local community.”

The paramedic expressed concern about the impact the plan would have in conjunction with the potential closure of Huddersfield’s A&E.

He said: “If the planned relocation of A&E services from Huddersfield Royal Infirmary to Calderdale Royal Hospital takes place, this will massively impact on our travelling times to hospital and will leave our area devoid of cover.

“The planned reduction to one ambulance crew 24/7 will mean this area will be without

emergency cover for long periods of time."

“We are increasingly finding ourselves serving Penistone, Millhouse Green and the Stocksbridge area and transporting patients to Barnsley District General and Sheffield hospitals, therefore depleting cover in our area for long periods of time.

“It appears YAS Trust policy is to target urban response times at the expense of rural areas.”

Yorkshire Ambulance Service said reduced the numbers of ambulances at Honley station was just one option.

Honley Ambulance Station, Moorbottom, Honley
Honley Ambulance Station, Moorbottom, Honley

Dr David Macklin, executive director of operations at YAS, said: “In order to ensure we continue to provide the most efficient and effective services to meet the changing demands of our communities, we are looking at a number of options as part of a trust-wide comprehensive review of our organisation.

“One such option is the possibility of having one ambulance based at Honley with additional 24/7 cover provided by Huddersfield Ambulance Station.

“However, this is just one of a range of proposals and no changes to services will be made without appropriate consultation with staff, local communities, commissioners and our partners.”