Major shake-up on Midlands ambulances

Up to 13 Black Country ambulance stations are set to be closed in a £7 million shake up of the service, it emerged today.

They will be replaced by 29 "community" centres and two major hubs. One hub will be built on the site of the current ambulance station in Burton Road, Dudley and the hunt is on for one in the Willenhall area.

The changes will be introduced in Walsall, Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Dudley next year. They will create 20 more jobs throughout the region with the introduction of an extra group of staff called ambulance fleet auxiliaries.

They will take over more menial tasks currently performed by paramedics who will then concentrate on medical matters.