LOCAL MP Virginia Bottomley and Haslemere's Surrey county councillor Christine Stevens have spoken of their fears for the future of the town's ambulance service.

Concern is growing over the retention of a dedicated 24-hour emergency ambulance in Haslemere.

Christine Stevens has hit out at proposals presented at a public consultation meeting on the proposed merger of Surrey and Hampshire Ambulance Services, held in Haslemere on Tuesday night.

The meeting was part of a three-month public consultation over proposals to modernise south-east ambulance services to give a faster service and maximise resources for patient care.

Her comments followed assurances given by the chief executive of Surrey Ambulance Service at the meeting that Haslemere's ambulance station will not close.

Mr Kennedy told a member of the public at the meeting that there were no plans at all to move the 24-hour emergency vehicle from Haslemere.

Referring to a previous statement from Virginia Bottomley expressing her concerns over the possible loss of the Haslemere service, he added: "I have no idea why your MP believes that is the situation."

Mr Kennedy later reaffirmed his assurances in answer to one of eight questions asked by Mrs Stevens at the end of the hour-long presentation.

"Of the eight questions I asked, I received long and largely unconvincing answers.

"While I applaud Mr Kennedy's spirit and understand his dilemma, I doubt very much whether this package of measures stacks up."

Mrs Stevens said that she and Mrs Bottomley were concerned about the "potential impact of the service change on people in Haslemere."

The ambulance station, which was believed to be moving to its new site at Haslemere Hospital soon, following sale of its current site on Grayswood Road, is now not expected to go until early next year.

Mrs Stevens believed that the implications of the new proposals involving staff making more important decisions and patients being offered choices for the care they receive, could result in the ambulance service having less work and becoming less viable.

"We have to question how long locally based services from Haslemere can be expected to last," said Mrs Stevens.

She said she was also not convinced that Mr Kennedy was in a position to give an assurance that Haslemere would retain a local ambulance crew, on a 24-hour, 365-day-a- year basis.

And of the proposals to merge, Mrs Stevens said: "I believed this is a done deal. I did not hear talk of any alternative."

She declared: "Mrs Bottomley and I will lead strong challenges and make sure the local view is heard.

With the new health authorities set to combine Surrey and Sussex, while the proposed ambulance merger is with Surrey and Hampshire, she called the ambulance strategy "nonsense".

"I urge everyone to challenge this mismatch, it cannot

be good for patient services.

The health authorities need to get their act together and work out what is best for people.

"This carve-up looks like a power game played in silos, instead of what's best for the customer."

Mrs Bottomley said: "There is now growing alarm about the proposed amalgamation with Hampshire. We demand safeguards that services will improve rather than deteriorate.

"I hope with the local community to save our local ambulance service."