SIGNIFICANT improvements are needed to get Herefordshire’s ambulance service out of the emergency ward.

But bosses at West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) insist help is on the way following a damning report into its failings.

Representatives from WMAS and the PCT (Primary Care Trust) faced up to Herefordshire Council following a five-month review into the state of ambulance and paramedic services.

The review, completed by a council sub-committee in February, found that crews were not getting the back-up they needed from regional bosses, while a shortage of vehicles and staff was threatening response times.

Derek Laird, WMAS locality director, said that improvements were needed, especially in the rural market towns. He said changes had taken place, but some issues would take longer to resolve. They included:

- Extra vehicles: Mr Laird and Ian Williams, PCT director of integrated commissioning, refused to commit to extra ambulances, insisting they needed to fit with the regional model.

- Improved services in Ledbury and Ross: committee chairman Councillor Kay Swinburne was highly critical of WMAS after pensioner Alfred Parry died last July in Ledbury waiting for an ambulance from Bromyard. Mr Laird said that extra crews were being deployed to Ledbury throughout March to see “what improvements could be made”.

- Direction for community first responders (CFR): a CFR manager for Herefordshire has been appointed after the report recommended an overhaul of their operation.

- Winter response times: Just 64 per cent of ambulances achieved the required eight-minute response in December. The drop was blamed on a surge of calls and the closure of the Bransford control centre, but figures have improved and stabilised near the required 75 per cent.

Councillors also criticised WMAS for their “disappointing” write-up of their previous meeting with the council. Committee chairman Coun Swinburne said the write-up undermined depth and analysis, while Coun Brigadier Peter Jones said the report did not answer questions over resources.

Responding to the criticisms, Mr Laird agreed services needed to improve, but stressed that finances were tight.

“It’s important to remember that the report is a planning document – we don’t want to go through, make some recommendations and let it sit on a shelf,” he said.

“There are some pretty big challenges ahead and we hope to make significant improvements over the next six months. But I also think it’s important to see whether the current resources will work adequately for the moment.

“The report concerns where we are now, but what’s important is the progress we make in six to 12 months time.”