KINTYRE councillors have united in protest over ambulance cover in rural areas.
In some cases ambulance cover to Campbeltown has been provided from Tarbert, Lochgilphead and even as far away as Oban.
Two ambulance crews are on duty during the day in Campbeltown with on call cover at night. An increase in patient transfer to Oban or Glasgow hospitals can take ambulance crews out of the area for hours leaving one crew on duty.
Councillor Donald Kelly emphasised that there is no reflection on the local ambulance crews.
‘They carry out an excellent service,’ he said, ‘the problem is lack of funding.’
He added: ‘This is a problem throughout Argyll and Bute which requires to be addressed. It is totally unacceptable that we have to rely on ambulance cover from Tarbert and further afield unless in exceptional circumstances like a major incident.’
John Semple, chairman of Kintyre Initiative Working Group told The Courier that he wants ambulance cover and shift patterns over Argyll and Bute be looked at to ensure that rural areas are not discriminated against.
He said: ‘People living in isolated and rural areas should expect a similar service to those living in urban areas.’
A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said that the problem was the increase in patient transfer out of the area.
The average response time throughout Scotland is seven minutes with Argyll and Bute averaging just over seven minutes.
The target set by the Scottish Government is for 75 per cent of life threatening calls to be answered within eight minutes by March 2009.
