Issue - items at meetings - Ambulance Service: Make Ready Scheme

Presentation from South East Coast Ambulance Service on their new Make Ready centre.

54.1         James Pavey, Senior Operations Manager, South East Coast Ambulance Service, gave a presentation on the proposed Make Ready Centre and answered members’ questions.

Mr Pavey explained that currently ambulance staff including paramedics can be based at a number of locations, and are expected to clean and restock their ambulances as part of their daily duties – this has an impact on the amount of 999 calls that they can attend.

The Make Ready centre will be a new location where all ambulances will start and finish their shifts; a team of specialists will, service, maintain, repair, restock, clean and swab the ambulances so that they are ready for duty.  This is the first significant estates investment in Sussex in over twenty years.

The Make Ready Centre will be located near the Amex stadium. The Ambulance Service has already begun engagement with Moulsecoomb and Bevendean residents, which has been mostly positive.

Mr Pavey then addressed Members’ questions, which included:

54.2         How did the partnership arrangement with Harmoni come about?

Mr Pavey said that their medical expertise in primary care was needed to operate the 111 service, and it is important for SECAMB work in partnership as 111 calls can end up with ambulances being dispatched.. Mr Pavey was unsure of the detail of how the competitive tendering process was carried out, but he would ask colleagues at the Ambulance Service to provide more detail.

54.3         What will happen with the unused land at Brighton General Hospital?

The land will be sold off so that the money can be invested into the make ready projects.

54.4         Will there be disturbances to residents?

With regard to potential disturbance for residents, the Make Ready centre Is not a primary response post, but a start and finish point for ambulances on shift. Once they have left the Make Ready station on call, they will not return until the end of shift. The ambulance shifts have been staggered so that the vehicles do not all leave or return at the same time. The services and the impact will be monitored.

54.5    How many vehicles will be using the site?

There will be a minimum of approximately seven double-manned ambulances, which operate around the clock, and up to six response cars, which will be using the Make Ready centre. At peak times there will be up to approximately 14 double manned ambulances on duty and approximately 9 response cars on duty, covering the area of Brighton and Hove, Lewes, Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath.

54.6Do emergency services share information?

Yes the emergency services continue to work closely together, and there is a Resilience team looking at emergency planning issues.

54.7The Chair thanked Mr Pavey for his presentation and his time.