Police cars 'as ambulances' fear

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A chief constable has said he fears an injured person will die in the back of a police car heading for hospital due to poor ambulance response times.

Mick Giannasi of Gwent Police, was commenting after it emerged 92 people had to be taken to hospital by his officers over six months.

In December 2008 alone, police cars were used as a last resort 41 times because ambulances were not available.

The Welsh Ambulance Service said it had reduced such incidences significantly.

The figures covered the period from October 2008 to March 2009 and were obtained from Gwent Police by Plaid Cymru prospective parliamentary candidate Steffan Lewis using the Freedom of Information Act.

The figures for March showed an improvement with a police car being used on four occasions to take people to hospital.

My real concern is that one day, something will go wrong and someone will die in the back of a police car en route to hospital Mick Giannasi, chief constable Gwent police

Mr Giannasi told the South Wales Argus newspaper that if police officers were taking sick and injured people to hospital, they were not available to do other things.

"We often experience high demand for our services, particularly at peak times, and can ill afford to be doing additional work to cover gaps in other services," he said.

"However, the police service is the agency of last resort and we have a duty to protect the public which we take very seriously.

"We cannot simply abandon sick or injured people by the roadside and there are times when we have no option but to convey them to hospital using police transport.

"My real concern is that one day, something will go wrong and someone will die in the back of a police car en route to hospital."

Mr Lewis said he believed the problem stemmed from "a lack of organisation in the Welsh Ambulance Service".

"This situation is unacceptable and I have written to both the chief executive of the ambulance service, Alan Murray, and the Health Minister, Edwina Hart, asking for an explanation and for a promise to right this wrong," he said.

Severe weather

A spokesman for the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust said there were occasions, especially at times of severe weather or over the Christmas and New Year period, when all ambulances may be deployed on other emergency calls.

"All emergency services work together and support each other at times of high demand to ensure people get the care needed," he said.

"The ambulance service focused its efforts and reduced the incidences significantly and will continue to work closely with the joint emergency services group to resolve the issues."