COUNCIL chiefs are opposing plans to merge the ambulance service in York, North and East Yorkshire with another three trusts.

The Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (TENYAS) could join forces with South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire by April 2006 under Government plans to reduce the number of ambulance trusts in England.

But North Yorkshire County Council will oppose the move, worried about resources being taken away from rural parts of the county.

Councillor John Blackie, chairman of the council's scrutiny of health committee, said it could mean lives being put at risk through longer response times to emergencies and the loss of vital knowledge by ambulance staff.

He said: "Seven years ago we went through a merger of ambulance trusts when North Yorkshire's ambulance service joined with Teesside and East Yorkshire to form TENYAS.

"All the arguments to support that merger will no doubt be rolled out again this time, but our experience paints a different picture."

He said TENYAS had failed to meet national standards for answering emergency calls in rural areas, but stressed he was not criticising front-line ambulance staff.

He said: "Will an ambulance trust based in the region deal as equitably with Rosedale as it might with Rotherham, or Swaledale as it might with Sheffield, or Whitby as it might with Wakefield? I think not.

"When an organisation has important national targets to meet, then it will concentrate its operational resources on urban centres of population."

The Department of Health wants to condense the country's 31 trusts to 11, disposing of unnecessary bureaucracy. No reductions in ambulances or frontline staff are expected.

The ambulance service is the latest in a line of organisations facing reconfiguration, including Selby and York Primary Care Trust and North Yorkshire Police.

A Department of Health spokesman previously told the Evening Press: "The recent review of ambulance services has given us a clear vision for a better service and has received widespread support.

"As part of making this vision a reality, we intend to propose that there should be 11 ambulance trusts across England to allow for better investment in people and resources."

Updated: 10:48 Thursday, November 03, 2005