News Release

21st October 2006

WHITTINGTON AMBULANCE FIRST RESPONDERS BACK ON CALL - FOR THE TIME BEING

At an emergency meeting today (Saturday 21st October), Community First Responders in Whittington - whose service area include parts of Lichfield and Tamworth - went back on call, but only "pending permission being given to re-use drugs now withdrawn from service" says Chairman, Frank Bartlett.

"Community First Responders feel badly let down by Staffordshire Ambulance chiefs and they believe that they cannot help save lives in some incidents without the drugs they have all been trained to use", says Michael Fabricant who attended the meeting together with Matthew Ellis the county councillor for the area. "A meeting has now been organised between all Staffordshire MPs and ambulance chiefs. It is imperative that Community First Responders throughout Staffordshire now contact all their MPs and county councillors so they are made aware of the situation. In the meantime, I am waiting for answers I have tabled to the Prime Minister and to the Health Secretary regarding the withdrawal of drugs and ResQPOD equipment", Michael adds.

Photo shows the First Responders in Whittington following the meeting with - left to right - Frank Bartlett (in uniform), Cllr Matthew Ellis, and Michael Fabricant