999 ALSTONMOOR

BACKGROUND

Alston Moor's Community Ambulance and its dedicated crew is under threat. North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has announced plans to take away the emergency vehicle and make the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) redundant. This tight-knit community of around 2,500 people spread over a beautiful but remote landscape of 80 square miles is pulling together to do everything they can to stop this from happening. Alston Moor, nestled high up in the North Pennines is a popular tourist destination. An ideal base not only for Cumbria, but for visiting Northumberland, Teesdale, the Lake District and even Scotland. We want our residents to be safe, but also our very welcome day-trippers and holiday-makers.

The NHS Ambulance Standards state that the average response time for life-threatening illnesses or injuries (category 1) is seven minutes and emergency call-outs (category 2) 18 minutes. Without an ambulance and EMTs on Alston Moor it would take a MINIMUM of 40 minutes to reach the scene. That time could easily stretch to two hours or more, depending on the weather, traffic and if, through no fault of their own the ambulance sent from Penrith, Carlisle or even as far as Preston and Manchester can't find the location due to their lack of local knowledge.

This website provides information about our campaign. The background, what we've done, what we're planning to do and all the latest up-to-date news and events. Please sign our petition and email us with ideas and any other support you can offer. Most of all tell as many people as you can about the 'Save Alston Moor's Ambulance' campaign. The fight to save our services is a monumental one, but if we all work together we can win.

It is a fight we MUST win, because if we fail then there is one certain – lives will be lost!


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LATESTNEWS

These are some of the things we've been busy doing.....

Campaign Update - October 2021

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Hopefully you've received our October Campaign leaflet through your door. We want to do as much as possible to keep the Alston MOor community up-to-date with what's being done to keep our ambulance service and EMTs here.

Actions taken

Writing to North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) directors, Police and Crime Commissioner, Chief Constable and others.

NWAS have been asked to attend the November Parish Council meeting to give an update. (Further details as we get them).

Featured in The Observer newspaper and The Guardian website.

Regular contact with local and national media, giving updates.

Liaising with GMB union via the Alston Moor representative.

Events attended to raise funds and awareness:- Alston Gala, Alston Agricultural Show and Producer's Markets.

In discussions with one of the largest law firms in the UK. Our main contact lives between Alston and Penrith so he understands our many location issues.

Campaign is to be named SAMS - Save Alston Moor's Services.