HAMPSHIRE ambulance crews are threatening to strike if management fails to address urgent problems affecting the safety and welfare of staff and the communities they serve.

They have issued a four-week ultimatum to Hampshire Ambulance Service Trust managers that, if their concerns are not addressed, they will take a vote of no confidence and ballot on industrial action.

The decision was made at a union meeting, called by staff and held in Winchester on Tuesday evening.

Chaired by Alton ambulance man and chairman of Joint Shop Stewards Committee (JSSC) Jim Barnett, and overseen by legal adviser Hugh Kirkbride, the meeting addressed five major issues.

Topping the list was a lack of communication between management and front line workers, coupled with fears that government 999 performance targets are being met at the expense of those living in North East Hampshire, which includes Alton, Bordon, Petersfield and the surrounding villages.

The service, they say, has fallen victim to Òa post code lotteryÓ, with crews in Alton and Petersfield being called on to provide emergency cover in the conurbations of Basingstoke, Winchester, Portsmouth and Southampton, often leaving the rural areas without cover.

An incident last Thursday served to highlight the issue.

Both crews from Alton had been called out - one to an emergency call from Alresford and the other to Basingstoke, where it had been instructed to remain on stand-by.

The next 999 call came from Grayshott and, being the nearest, the Alton crew was advised to attend.

According to Mr Barnett, it took 29 minutes to cover the 30 miles from Basingstoke, which was far in excess of the eight minute response time required by government for life-threatening calls.

ÒAnd this is not an isolated case,Ó said the Alton paramedic. ÒMiles, time and traffic dictate response times and when we are out of area, it is often impossible to meet the target; we just cannot do it.Ó

Nor, according to the JSSC, is AltonÕs standby location at Longmoor working, because, like the Petersfield crews, ambulances sited there are constantly being pulled down to cover Portsmouth.

As a result, crews are calling for the installation of another 24-hour ambulance station, either at Liphook or Whitehill, to ensure local people get the cover they deserve.

It was felt that this and many other issues raised at TuesdayÕs meeting boiled down to a lack of consultation between senior management and the JSSC.

Ambulance chiefs were accused of being Òhigh handedÓ and ÒdictatorialÓ in the way in which they were seen to replace old agreements and practices without consulting the workforce.

They had been lax, it was said, about providing staff uniform, which not only comprised protective clothing but gave a necessary form of identity to front line workers.

In addition, road staff were not being allowed enough time to take necessary meal breaks and they were being asked to work more unsociable hours, with shift patterns extended to cover night clubs which are open until the early hours of the morning.

Large numbers of staff were said to be suffering from stress, made worse by concerns over the state of the ambulances they were forced to drive.

Although new Mercedes vehicles were being introduced on a lease hire basis, when they were in for repair crews were left with high mileage ÔMÕ and ÔNÕ registration vehicles, which were often unreliable and prone to breaking down.

According to the JSSC, the result was a county-wide problem in covering shifts. A shortage of crews and vehicles meant that shifts were being dropped on a regular basis, putting yet more strain on crews being forced to cover out of area.

It raised the question of Òwho cares for the carers?Ó backed by a challenge to local MPs to take a serious look at how Hampshire Ambulance Service was really performing.

There was also a demand that management enter into open and fair negotiations with the JSSC and reveal the true picture concerning the state of the service.

ÒIt is our service as well as theirs - we are the guys at the sharp end,Ó said the chairman.

Managers are being urged also to Òget a gripÓ on the uniform issue, sort out meal breaks, vehicle and shift problems and to urgently address the Òpost code lotteryÓ situation.

They have until July 25 to address the concerns raised. If not, staff will be calling an extraordinary meeting in Winchester in a bid to force their hand.