THE future of Surrey's ambulance service still hangs in the balance after a decision over contentious plans to change the service was delayed until next year.
Hopes were high that health minister Hazel Blears would announce before Christmas whether the controversial proposals to merge Hampshire and Surrey Ambulance Trusts would be given the go ahead.
However, Hampshire Ambulance spokeswoman Liz Rees told The Herald that as the House of Commons is not sitting over Christmas, an announcement is not now expected until the new year.
Controversy has surrounded the proposals put forward to modernise the ambulance services in the whole of the South East.
The hope is that a merger between Hampshire and Surrey would mean that the new ambulance trust would operate more efficiently and would give a far better service to patients.
The South East Regional Office has recommended that the proposals be rubber-stamped and the new-look service should come into operation in April 2002.
However, this in itself has been surrounded by controversy.
Although Surrey Ambulance Trust is backing the plans, Hampshire Ambulance Trust is opposed, fearing that the merger would be "detrimental to both residents and staff who are currently achieving rapid improvements in meeting targets for new standards in response times".
Local health authorities are opposed to the merger and every community health council in Hampshire and Surrey has written a joint letter objecting to the plans, and expressing concern that response times would slip if the merger went ahead.