Shrewsbury set for three more ambulance stations
The location of three new Shrewsbury community ambulance stations, aimed at speeding up response times, have been revealed as part of regional cost-cutting plans.
Community ambulance stations are planned in Shrewsbury for the Battlefield Enterprise Park, Oxon Business Park and Shrewsbury Business Park as part of the changes, which will see the existing Abbey Foregate ambulance station closed down.
It comes after it was revealed last week that the ambulance service's main vehicle maintenance and preparation hub will be based at the Abella Business Centre off Longden Road.
West Midland Ambulance Service says the move to have four bases in the town rather than one main site will help them respond to emergency calls across Shrewsbury more quickly.
WMAS expects to generate about £1.13m savings by selling stations in Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Craven Arms and Whitchurch, in addition to £2m in 'staff efficiency' savings.
Chris Kowalik, a spokes- man for WMAS, said it should be cheaper and more efficient for the service to use additional smaller premises in Shrewsbury.
WMAS area manager Barry McKinnon said: "We are moving to a new system which relates to centralised hubs where we will store a greater resilience of vehicles, equipment and staff who are able to be deployed across the whole of Shropshire."
