The reforms have paved the way for new ‘urgent care’ centres where patients can seek help for a range of ailments and injuries in the same way A & E departments do.

Dozens of the centres are planned for NHS trusts across the country in a bid to reduce the burden on A & E departments. The urgent care centres will deal with minor, non emergency cases, allowing A & E departments to direct their resources to the most serious cases.

Read full article: Emergency Services News.

South Yorkshire Police this week agreed to make 300 boxes of secret documents public.

Now the county’s ambulance and fire service have indicated they are ready to follow suit.

The news comes ahead of a meeting scheduled for the coming week of Merseyside MPs and home secretary Jacqui Smith.

They want the government to deliver her promise of “full disclosure” to secure justice for families and Reds fans.

Ms Smith and Culture Secretary Andy Burnham agreed to drop the 30-year secrecy rule which normally covers police and government files.

But there are still questions over how the files will be released – police documents alone fill 300 boxes – and whether they will be censored for legal reasons.

Read full article: Liverpool Echo.co.uk

UNISON SECAmb are appalled at the apparent lack of progresson the issue of “vehicle communication” for front healthandsafetyline staff.

It was UNISON staff side that formally raised this subject at the July 08 Central H/S Meeting the following meeting we looked at the comprehensive risk assessment and where assured that action to provide the essential equipment would be provided!

To date I believe there are still crews without the essential mobile/radios putting them selves at risk on a daily basis. This is totally unacceptable Therefore if no positive action is taken by the trust within 7 working days unison will take action against the employer with in a range of sanctions including reporting the trust to the H.S.E.under Health and Safety legislation.

Read full article:UNISON SECAmb

Karl Gibbins, 35, went on a “journey of self-destruction” after being kicked out of his girlfriend’s home, and was found in the road face down on the floor with a smashed bottle of vodka beside him, Norwich magistrates heard.

Gibbins, from Bowthorpe Road, Norwich, was warned by magistrates that he could be jailed, and the case was adjourned for reports.

He admitted possessing a knife in a public place, two counts of threatening behaviour, and one of criminal damage, smashing a glass plane at his girlfriend’s home, all on March 26.

Prosecuting, Mark Davis said: “The first offence was the damage to the window. After that the defendant took a cocktail of drink and drugs including amphetamines and vodka.

“Two East of England Ambulance Service paramedics were called to Wakefield Road in Norwich at about 4.35pm.

“A man (Gibbins) was lying in the road beside a smashed bottle of vodka. He had sustained some injuries to his face.

“He was extremely abusive to the paramedics and spat in their direction. He swore at them and said he was going to kill them. Police were called by the ambulance staff and he was arrested at that stage for being drunk and disorderly.

Read full article: Evening News 24

Churchill, 22, was found unconscious on a bus travelling from Stonehouse to Stroud on Friday, March 13.

Prosecuting at Stroud Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, Sharon Green explained how the bus driver was concerned and pulled over to dial 999.

When paramedics arrived they thought Churchill was suffering from a drug overdose and were about to inject her with a heroin stabiliser when she came round, Ms Green explained.

Churchill, of Westrip, Stroud, then kicked, scratched and spat in the face of the paramedic while swearing at him.

After being arrested she hit a police officer on the head.

Ms Green read a statement from the paramedic who said he was ‘disgusted’ by her behaviour.

Matthew Harbinson, for the defence, said Churchill had been drinking in a pub in Stonehouse on the final day of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

However, she did not remember falling unconscious, and believed her drink had been spiked, he told the court.

“When she came round the bus driver and paramedic were holding her down while holding a syringe to her arm and an oxygen mask was covering her face,” said Mr Harbinson.

“Considering Churchill has a phobia of needles this scared her immensely and she hit out without thinking.”

Mr Harbinson said Churchill was walking away from the police officer when he grabbed her arm, causing her to lash out.

Read full article:Stroud News and Journal.

The ambulance was travelling along Main Road in Kesgrave, near Ipswich, with its blue lights flashing at about 10.30pm on Thursday night.

The East of England Ambulance Service has admitted the incident is “extremely rare” and said it will be reviewed internally.

According to an eyewitness, the ambulance overtook cars in front of it, which resulted in it travelling “sideways” on the wrong side of the road.

A police car which was travelling in the opposite direction to the ambulance performed a U-turn in the road and pulled the ambulance over.

Because of this, another ambulance had to be dispatched to the emergency.

Ashley Pickering, who witnessed the incident, said: “I was driving behind the police car and then I could see an ambulance with its lights on travelling in the other direction.

“There was some traffic on the ambulance’s side of the road. It overtook the cars and went the wrong side of the traffic island. It was on completely the wrong side of the road, it was quite a manoeuvre.

“It was a little bit damp and slippery but the back end went out and the ambulance was sliding sideways down the road. It was fairly close to the police car who I think had to brake to avoid it. I honestly thought the ambulance was going to crash but the driver managed to hold it.

“The ambulance carried on going but the police car did a U-turn in the middle of the road and raced after it. The police officer caught up with the ambulance and pulled it over.”

Suffolk Constabulary confirmed that words of advice were given to the driver of the ambulance but no further action was taken.

The East of England Ambulance Service said another ambulance was dispatched to the emergency. But it said there was no delay in the care of the patient who needed treatment because a rapid response vehicle was already on scene. An internal inquiry will now take place into the incident.

Adrienne Watts, of the East of England Ambulance Service, said: “We can confirm that a Trust ambulance vehicle displaying blue lights and on-route to an emergency call in Kesgrave was stopped by police who were concerned about an overtaking manoeuvre. The police are fully within their rights to stop any emergency vehicle at any time and on this occasion no further action has been taken. The Trust will be reviewing the incident internally to ensure that driving guidelines are adhered to.”

Greg Grant, Eastern regional secretary for Unison which represents the NHS and police service, said: “It is unusual for the police to pull an ambulance and there must have been some concern on the part of the police to take that action. The police knew the ambulance was attending an emergency. I am not aware of any other circumstances like this which spring to mind.”

East Anglian Daily Times.