by Alan Smith

Ambulance stations across the county could close as part of a policy being developed by the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Cranbrook, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks would be among the first to close in the west of the county, with Maidstone ambulance station earmarked for closure at a later date.

Instead Paddock Wood would become the central re-supply depot for the area, with ambulance crews positioned on standby at various other locations.

Many of SECAmb's stations are reaching 25 years old and changes in the spread of Kent's population means the service is looking at redeploying crews to better match it.

However, the proposed move has already been condemned by Sir John Stanley, MP for Tonbridge and Malling, who said: "The closure of local ambulance stations is bound to reduce the adequacy and timeliness of ambulance cover and will put patients at risk."

The trust said it was "in discussions" about how to roll out the initiative, but denied that any decision on station closures had yet been made.

It has said is committed to improving patient safety and modernising the services it provides to patients and it reckons the the so-called "Make Ready" initiative would help that.

It said: "The Make Ready initiative significantly enhances and improves the service SECAmb provides to the community. It minimises the risk of cross-infection, frees up front-line crews who traditionally clean and re-stock ambulances..."

SECAmb operates two such depots, in Chertsey, Surrey, and in Hastings, East Sussex.

SECAmb Senior Operations Manager for The Weald and South Kent, Steve Rose, said: “We already have two depots, and we are now discussing how the Trust continues to roll out this award winning initiative across the whole of our operational area of Kent, Surrey, Sussex.

“These discussions have already began with staff, and will continue to take place, as it’s important that staff are involved every step of the way.

“Improving patient outcomes and response times to patients requires our vehicles and crews to be where the public need them to be, when they need them; this is why you might see an ambulance on ‘standby’ in locations that are not ambulance stations because they are closer to patient demand.”

SECamb added that if any stations do close it will not mean the removal or reduction of services in those areas.