Campaigners are calling for a rethink on plans to close ambulance stations in the wake of the resignation of the 999 service’s boss.
Chief executive of East Midlands Ambulance Service Phil Milligan announced last week he was stepping down from his “very demanding” job.
His decision came a month after the trust was fined £3.5million for missing national targets for patients involved in life-threatening emergencies for the third year in a row.
Unions and health watchdogs are now calling for EMAS plans to cut the number of ambulance stations from 65 to 28, on hold.
Under the controversial plans, the stations would be replaced by nine super-hubs and a number of smaller stations and community points.
EMAS said Mr Millgan had left them with “clear plans for the future”, but campaigners from the four counties covered by the trust said they want the idea postponed so discussions can be held to find a better way forward.
Colin Todd, of the GMB union, which represents ambulance workers, said: “As a trade union, our members are saying they don’t want to close ambulance stations.
“We want to improve things and that’s the key.”
He said the union was requesting a meeting with EMAS’s interim chief executive Jon Sergeant.
Coun Christine Talbot, who chairs Lincolnshire County Council’s health scrutiny committee, said: “This is an opportunity for EMAS to look again at their plan.
“Lincolnshire is a very rural county and we have huge infrastructure problems on the east coast.
“It’s not easy to get an ambulance there.”
The committee has already referred EMAS’s plans to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, following concerns about the way the trust consulted on the proposals.
Mrs Talbot added: “We’ve got to get it right this time. We can’t mess about anymore. The people of Lincolnshire deserve better.”