Indeed Snowdrop, really think he's hit the nail on the head there! Won't be long before only 1 Para/Tech on an ambulance and a 3rd tier person (called HDTS...yes High Dependancy Transport Service but not in the true meaning of HDU!) per ambulance. Put all your Paras on cars, send along a Tech/HDU crewed ambulance and 9 times out of ten, the Paramedic will be available again in approx. 20 mins. A couple of Paras and a couple of ECPs in a sector, apparent appropriate use of resources. A "truly flexible service" apparently! This needs to be looked at now. The NHS has been watering down the ability of the ambulance services to effectively respond to the public. Okay so some of the calls aren't appropriate, but that's life isn't it? The invention of Super-Trusts, taking away locally based control rooms etc. You would have thought that the lessons may well have been learnt from the London Bombings, that when there is a major incident what help are cars going to be when there are hundreds of injured patients requiring stretcher transfer. They seem twitchy enough to give us dossimeters, excape hoods, atropine in rip away cases in the cabs of vehicles. Do they know something we don't? Perhaps the idea is that hospital admission won't be appropriate for patients after the next attrocity (if you catch my drift). The nails seem to be hammered into the lids of the coffins of Fire and Recue co-responding with the High Court ruling that it's in breach (I believe it was talking about) the contracts in Notts Fire and Rescue to make them co-responfd, with the comment being about a Health Service on the cheap...where has everyone been whilst they have been giving a defib to every man and his dog and asking them to attend any red call. Don't get me wrong, if my Dad collapses and arrests i don't mind who is there to press THE button, as long as it's pressed. But they are sending them to every red call...falls from height etc. (ok so i'm missing the obvious that the patient may arrest but how many do!?) We all talk about stealth tax...why don't we talk about stealth health cuts? Stations are being sold, the cheapest inappropriate equipment is being purchased, cheap vehicles that aren't as effective are being considered, shifts being left uncovered because there is no money to pay overtime. It's sheer madness. In our amalgamated trust, the equivalent of nearly the whole budget of the smallest old trust has to be cut...and they say they can do that without damaging the service we provide...who are they trying to kid? The only people to be out of a job and not on a current salary (although recieving a substantial hand shake) are the ex-board of directors...all of the multitude of middle managers have been put in posts with protected pay...where is this leading to? A reduction in the number of bags of filter paper and coffee in the HQ building? Need I go on... But we are told that there is a record investment in the NHS...I haven't seen any yet! Oh well I'm not so red in the face now and not quite so frustrated...it's good to know I'm not the only one. One word of warning though. I'm still new to the Paramedic game, being in the service for 5 years (a Para for 2), BUT, I have never seen moral so low as I have now, and the service only works through the commitment and good will of the staff...which is rapidly being lost...what then?! Signing out...if not off!