North Wiltshire MP, James Gray, has expressed his concerns over the proposal by the Great Western Ambulance Service, to make the Wiltshire Air Ambulance available to ambulance services throughout the rest of the region.

In a letter to Tim Lynch, the Chief Executive of the Great Western Ambulance Service, regarding the proposals, Mr Gray said: “if you have any such thoughts, perhaps it is worth recording that I, and I know many thousands of people across Wiltshire, would be wholly opposed to it. Not only do we fund it, but also a large rural area like Wiltshire surely has need of a dedicated air ambulance for our county alone. For similar reasons, I was opposed to the amalgamation of the Wiltshire Ambulance Service and the creation of the regional service, and I believe that recent reports bear out the wisdom of that view."

Read on to see the text of Mr Gray's letter in full:

15th May 2008

Mr Tim Lynch,
Chief Executive,
Great Western Ambulance Service,
Jenner House,
Langley Park Estate,
Chippenham,
Wiltshire,
SN15 1GG.

Dear Tim,

I am very concerned by press reports that you are considering making the Wiltshire Air Ambulance - which of course is funded predominantly by the Wiltshire Police Force and to the tune of £400,000 by generous fundraising by the people of Wiltshire - available to the ambulance services throughout the rest of your region.

I would be grateful if you would let me know what discussions or thoughts you might have had along those lines, since if that is not your intention, it is surely vitally important to waste no time in correcting press reports.

However, if you have any such thoughts, perhaps it is worth recording that I, and I know many thousands of people across Wiltshire, would be wholly opposed to it. Not only do we fund it, but also a large rural area like Wiltshire surely has need of a dedicated air ambulance for our county alone. For similar reasons, I was opposed to the amalgamation of the Wiltshire Ambulance Service and the creation of the regional service, and I believe that recent reports bear out the wisdom of that view.

I very much hope that you will be able to allay our concerns over the Wiltshire Air Ambulance with no further delay.

Yours sincerely,

 

James Gray

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