Statement

Weir Angered by Ambulance Service Cut Backs in North Down 

Posted on: July 20, 2009

Councillor Peter Weir MLA has today expressed his anger at the cut backs to emergency ambulance provision in the North Down and Ards Peninsula area’s. The proposed cut backs would leave only 2 emergency ambulance crews to cover the entire North Down and Ards peninsula during the night between Sunday and Thursday in any given week. The North Down DUP Assemblyman speaking today expressed his outrage: 

“The proposed cut backs to the emergency ambulance provision in the North Down and Ards Peninsula areas put an unacceptable risk on the lives of the people live in these two areas. The removal of one emergency ambulance from the night shift leaves only two emergency ambulances to cover not only a huge geographic area but also an area with a large population concentration.  

The people of North Down and the Ards Peninsula deserve better than to be provided with a threadbare emergency ambulance provision. I would find it deplorable if it took a major incident to show the NI Ambulance Service the folly of its decision to reduce the emergency ambulance provision.  

I find it deeply distressing that we are playing with peoples lives as a way to save money and make the books balance. While I believe it is important to be prudent with how we spend public money, not when it comes to risking people’s, the security and safety of people’s lives should be the number one priority for public services in Northern Ireland. I would call upon the NI Ambulance Service to rethink their decision to cut night time emergency ambulance provision in our area. I would further ask the Health Minister Michael McGimpsey to investigate why agencies in his ministry are putting people’s lives at risk to save a few pounds.”