Following the recent removal of ResQPOD heart attack recovery equipment
from Staffordshire Ambulances, the newly established ‘Partnership Board’
between the Staffordshire Ambulance Service and West Midlands Ambulance
Service has now made the decision to withdraw 10 of the 13 medicines
previously available to Ambulance First Responders in Staffordshire.

Michael Fabricant says: "The 13 medicines are used by First Responders
in life saving situations. In villages like Whittington in my
constituency, and throughout rural Staffordshire, First Responders are
just that – they will usually get to a heart attack or stroke victim in
those crucial first minutes before a conventional Ambulance and
paramedic team arrives. I am shocked that the latest manifestation of
Government policy to merge the Ambulance services has been to reduce the
number of drugs available from 13 to 3. There is no evidence that those
13 drugs have harmed patients, only benefited them. I am concerned that
many First Responders will now be demoralised and leave the service.

"All this goes in the face of promises made by Tony Blair to
Staffordshire Labour MPs that the Partnership between the Staffordshire
Ambulance Service and West Midlands Ambulance Service would raise
standards of medical care in Staffordshire. Instead, it is becoming
increasingly clear that this merger is damaging our Staffordshire
Ambulance Service.

"I will now raise this with the Prime Minister as a formal Parliamentary
Question as I just cannot believe he is aware of what is now happening
to our award winning Ambulance service."