MP JOHN Hayes will resist any “silly ideas” the ambulance service has of reducing local provision after it announced plans to close stations.
His comments follow a letter published in this week’s Lincolnshire Free Press from a Spalding family who claim their son’s life was probably saved because an ambulance was able to reach him in just three minutes.
They feared that if paramedics had been forced to travel from Algarkirk – which would be the nearest “hub” to Spalding if East Midlands Ambulance Service’s plans were to go ahead – their son could have died before they reached him.
The 19-month-old had started fitting and vomiting within moments of banging his head following a fall.
He was rushed to hospital in Peterborough before being transferred to Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge after a CT scan confirmed he had a bleed on his brain.
His mum Sarah Griggs said: “How can they consider putting financial considerations above people’s lives?
“I’m sure there are other savings they can make rather than closing the ambulance station.”
Mr Hayes – MP for South Holland and the Deepings – said he would be pushing for what he hoped would be “fruitful” discussions with ambulance service bosses over its plans to close the majority of ambulance stations across the region.
He said: “It’s a preposterous idea from the trust’s powers-that-be and it is my job to make sure it doesn’t happen. I will be resisting, on behalf of local people, these silly ideas from those who should know better.
“I will have discussions with the ambulance service to quash any ideas that are going to see a reduction in provision for our area.”
In their letter, Sarah Griggs and husband Brian, of Cortez Court, say they would be “very worried” if Spalding’s ambulance station were to close after their experience just over a week ago.
They believe the ambulance’s quick response probably saved their son’s life, saying: “If they had further to travel, we dread to think what might have happened.”
Their son is now recovering well at home.