Statement from Cllr Mike Parkes, Chairman of the People and Health Overview Committee at Dorset Council:
“Dorset Council has been working with Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and local ward members in Swanage over the past two years to ensure the continuation of the ambulance car in Swanage.
“We have a statutory role to represent the needs of residents who could be adversely affected by changes to health services, and we appreciate that the local communities were left with uncertainty about the future of the ambulance car over a long period of time.
“Dorset Council promised to set up its own task and finish group to look at the future provision of ambulance cover in the Swanage area, and recently wrote to the CCG asking for reassurance that there would not be any cuts to the service, or alternatively, give us their proposals for a public consultation on the matter so we could review the situation.
“We are delighted to have received news from the CCG that there will be no cuts to this service and the ambulance car will continue to serve the community in future.
“We know the service is vital for the local community and surrounding villages, administering life-saving support long before a conventional ambulance can reach many emergency cases.
“There is also a considerable distance to A&E facilities, and a high population of elderly and vulnerable residents.”
