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Joy as 999 stations saved at Hinckley, Market Harborough and Melton

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Campaigners are toasting victory in their battle to save ambulance stations threatened with closure.

It began last year after East Midlands Ambulance Service (Emas) put forward plans to turn Gorse Hill station in Leicester and Loughborough station into two "super" stations and close all others down.

After protests and a re-think, bosses have dropped the super stations idea and agreed to keep stations in Hinckley, Market Harborough, Melton and a new station will be built in Ashby.

Gorse Hill and Loughborough will remain as normal stations.

However, stations in Coalville, Oakham, Syston, Narborough and Lutterworth will still be closed.

The £54 million scheme also includes 108 community ambulance stations in the East Midlands – places where crews can stop for a rest and meal breaks.

Harborough district councillor Phil Knowles said: "I am delighted that Emas has looked at this and seen there was no case for closure.

"Harborough is a growing community and we need to expand and protect our facilities."

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Councillor Michael Mullaney, who has also been campaigning to keep Hinckley station, said: "I am delighted from the Hinckley point of view.

"After eight months, we have finally got the result we wanted.

"We are very pleased we will have an ambulance base in Hinckley. We hope to see an improvement in response times and are thankful we have been listened to."

Emas bosses put forward the changes as part their "Being the Best" consultation to improve response times.

The idea is to have separate teams checking ambulance vehicles are clean and equipped so crews can go straight out on calls at the start of each shift.

The service has been struggling to get to 75 per cent of the most urgent calls within the Government's target time and to 95 per cent of the less urgent calls within 19 minutes.

Mike Pepperman, a member of the Leicester Mercury Patients' Panel and health watchdogs, the Leicester and Leicestershire local involvement networks, said: "We hope to see these coming through soon, certainly by the beginning of next winter."

After the decision, taken by directors at a board meeting yesterday, Emas chief executive Phil Milligan said: "The changes will improve performance on life-threatening calls by nearly 4 per cent."

Mr Milligan said creating 108 community ambulance stations, which may be at a shared premises such as a fire station or a portable building, would also save crews returning to large, urban-based stations.

Mr Milligan said: "This is a five-year plan."

Joy as 999 stations saved at Hinckley, Market Harborough and Melton


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