Ambulance chiefs have stopped an experienced volunteer life-saving medic in Nantwich from driving to emergencies on blue lights, sparking fears the time delay could cost lives.
Gavin Palin has been with the ambulance service in Nantwich for 23 years and has responded to life-threatening calls, such as cardiac arrests, on blue lights in the area for the past two decades.
North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has now stopped him driving on blue lights saying new legislation dictates he should have undertaken training by the ambulance trust.
Gavin insists he has completed all the training with NWAS.
NWAS also says the legislation states ‘any vehicle must, at the very least, be capable of conveying sick, injured or disabled persons’.
But the service appears to be referring to out-of-date legislation regarding this.
A letter from the Department of Transport, dated April 2024 to former Crewe & Nantwich MP Kieran Mullan, who had sought clarification on Gavin’s behalf, states there has been ‘corrective legislation to allow NHS ambulance services to continue responding to 999 calls using rapid response vehicles and motorcycles’.
It said this would allow ‘voluntary sector personnel… to continue supporting the ambulance service in responding to emergencies’.
Gavin told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “I have completed all the training I should have done with NWAS.
“I have done the refresher courses. I have asked NWAS for my file, which would show this, but they have not supplied it to me.
“In November last year, when I went for my driving refresher, the instructor said I couldn’t do it because he didn’t have my driving records.”
Since his blue-light ban, Gavin has been stuck in traffic on his way to emergencies.
“I was called to one incident where, although I was the closest vehicle when ambulance control called me, I was actually the third to arrive because I was stuck in traffic,” he said.
The person died.
Gavin said: “I can’t say that person would not have died if I’d got there earlier, but I can say they would have had a greater chance of survival.”
Nantwich Town Council, which has paid the insurance for two ambulance response cars for more than a decade, has written to NWAS and held talks with two top bosses.
In the letter the town council said: “NWAS does not appear to value the unique skills of Mr Palin and has not learnt from the past where a similar situation arose between 2008 and 2010.“
This refers to a similar occurrence in 2008 when NWAS removed Gavin’s permission to drive on blue lights leading to more than 1,000 people marching through Nantwich in protest.
A 10,000-signature petition was delivered to 10 Downing Street by the then MP, Edward Timpson, and Nantwich Town Council.
After a two-year campaign, NWAS reinstated the blue-light permission.
A letter from the NWAS chief exec at that time, Darren Hurrell, said it had been agreed Gavin would be an ‘honorary member of staff’ to enable him to drive using blue lights.
It continued: “As part of this agreement, Gavin also gave a commitment to work towards his Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) level 1 course over the next 12 months which, when completed, will increase the range of responses which he can actively attend.”
Gavin has the certificate to show he completed the course.
NWAS this week told the LDRS, Gavin was an ‘enhanced community first responder’ not an EMT1.
However, his official NWAS ID badge identifies him as ‘Gavin Palin, EMT1, paramedic emergency service’.
And a press release written by the ambulance service and posted on its website two years ago, also refers to him as ‘emergency medical technician Gavin Palin’.
The LDRS asked NWAS why Gavin had been stopped from driving on blue lights when this could potentially cost a patient their life.
An NWAS spokesperson said: “We stand by our judgement of the legal exemptions available; however, over and above these, we have the responsibility to keep staff and the public safe when responding to emergencies.
“Because of the risks connected with high-speed responses, we don’t allow any volunteer community first responders (CFRs) to drive on blue lights while travelling to patients in support of our crews.
“While we understand Mr Palin’s frustrations, we believe there are no grounds to justify a different position in relation to one individual.
“We greatly appreciate his passion and commitment to the ambulance service over the last 20 years and recognise the valuable contributions he makes.”
(Story by Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter)
I hope and pray 🙏 that people that make these decisions don’t end up requiring medical attention.
if Gavin has passed the nessary courses then we should have no problem.
I fully understand about the driving part of the blue light system and if so let him complete the course.
Hahaha funny systems in the Uk.
Laws over common sense.
If it wasn’t for Gavin Palin using his blues n twos I’d have died from the subarachnoid hemorrhage I had on 17th July 2012.
Well Clearly they are forgetting what the regulations in law state, section 19 the speeding exemption Clearly states that any vehicle being used for ambulance purposes can claim speeding exemption, provided the individual at the time has been trained in high speed driving ( BTECH 3 FUTURE QUALS LEVEL 3 CERAD) the definition of an emergency vehicle states any vehicle being used for police fire or.Ambulance purposes, which under the lighting regulations states only emergency vehicles shall be permitted to use visusal and audible warning devices.
So in a nut shell Ambulance services are wrong in what they say (CFR are unable to claim any exemptions) yes i agree if not trained to do so. There are services such as London, east of England, and south east coast who have Emergency responder schemes that allow fully blue light trained volunteers to respond under said conditions, so what’s the issue, it’s about time trusts use the legislation to there advantage and stop pretending that what they do is correct, they are putting lives at risk and delaying treatment, therfore duty of care being neglected in my eyes, in this day and age and with restraints imposed, they need all the help they can get,
He won’t go to things like falls and chest pains. Just things he can leave his funeral parlour calling card at. He’s not there for everyone. Doesn’t book off when. He’s finished so he can see what jobs he’s missed overnight. He’s a paramedic wannabe who is just sad now that legislation has caught up with him. If he gets his blue lights back, then all cfrs should be allowed to use them.
If you march you go to jail
NWAS run by a bunch of incompetent idiots that why people who are serious about their career leave
Well let’s hope someone high up in NWAS or they’re family don’t need a first responder then. Or they may not survive. Though as usual, they’ll change it AFTER a serious incident happens….to one of them! What is this country doing to itself. Seriously! This country used to be run by people with common sense, who wanted the best for their people. Now! Monkeys would run it better! Its pathetic how these idiots are running the country into the ground. What is the point of a FIRST responded when they get there last. FFS!! Get grip & grow some common sense!!!
The situation is despicable and deplorable in equal measure.
To save a life all restrictions are lifted in a no holes bared approach is in play.
Blue is the language I possess on the NHS position
Let the system rethink ..but make it quick before lives are lost
RAW breathtaking sheer idiocy of epic proportions exhibited by the clowns running the NWAS!!!!!
As a responder, yet to complete blue light training it is highly frustrating attending incidents like a cardiac arrest and having to wait in traffic knowing every second counts.
This also goes for on call fire fighters, RNLI responders and coastguard volunteers attending base .
In Shropshire our first responders can’t use blues
Time for another March? 😊
Welcome to Britain, we are held back by stupid legislation while the rest of the world laughs at us,we need to get back to basics and stop letting idiots decide these rules.
No wonder we are in such a mess.
“I have done the refresher courses. I have asked NWAS for my file, which would show this, but they have not supplied it to me.”
Time for a formal request to by Gavin for his personal file using Article 15(3) of the UK GDPR [Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council] because it sounds as though there are numerous errors in it… the NWAS is then required by law to respond to him within one calendar month.
The question is… is he trained for Blue lights?
The course is long. Approx 3 weeks. You can’t just jump in a car and use them.
This is typical of the decisions being made in the ambulance service at present. The ethos seems to be of it isn’t broke let’s brake it and if it is broke let’s not do anything to rectify it. The change in the triage system and decisions being on who gets an ambulance are dumbfounding. People with coughs and colds being dispatched ambulance while people with chest pains, palpitations and stroke symptoms are being delayed and referred to other services who then have to re assess and ultimately recall an ambulance at a delayed time on the persons behalf. The whole system is broke.
What is the point of a first responder if they can’t get there first?
That is crazy if someone is in cardiac arest and he is the nearest responder i would expect them to usr blue lights weather they are volunteers or paid staff. Get your act together.
Stupid he should be allowed to use blue lights sometimes the wait for an ambulance is 2 hours we’re gavin can get there fast on blue light come on u sereas we’re is your heads come on bosses wake up
Bureaucracy gone mad. Common sense is dead!
Jobs worth. If I need it I hope he flashes his blue light. Let common sense prevail!.
It is difficult to respond to this absolute stupidity without using language which would not be allowed. I just hope whoever made this ludicrous decision is the one waiting for a first responder when he gets stuck in traffic.
Unbelievable ☹️☹️☹️