This week I received a great welcome at Birmingham’s newest ambulance hub at Hollymoor Way in Northfield, which has been operational since July. The West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust’s “Hollymoor Hub” is home to a dedicated team of ambulance fleet assistants who clean, stock and prepare ambulances in readiness for clinical staff to start their shift.
During my visit, I saw the training facilities and the fleet garage where mechanics carry out servicing and repairs to front line ambulance vehicles – as well as the new management offices and rest rooms for staff – first hand.
It was great to see the hub in action, and I certainly see the sense in the new system for both response times and safety. It’s also good to be reassured by West Midlands Ambulance Service that even though the new hub is the main operational base, most ambulances are always out at different locations across South Birmingham to get to incidents as quickly as possible. I’m pleased that ‘Make Ready’, the project to modernise the ambulance service in the West Midlands, is moving ahead so successfully.
I hope that it will not only save costs and provide a better environment for staff – but deliver improvements for patients too. Birmingham, like the rest of the country, continues to face an A&E crisis. The amount of time people are waiting in ambulances, and to be referred to treatment, is still far too high in the city.
New facilities like the Hollymoor Hub will be crucial for improving services. I’d like to thank all the staff there for their hard work and dedication for all the work they do, and wish them the best going forward.
