A PARAMEDIC car which has been described as "a matter of life and death" will stay in service having been at risk of being axed.

The future of the Swanage paramedic car was put in doubt since April 2020 when health bosses announced it could be withdrawn.

A community campaign was launched to block the move, while pressure was also put on by Swanage Town Council members.

NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and South Western Ambulance Service have said it will remain a "24/7 car" following a "listening exercise."

In an open letter, Sue Sutton, Dorset CCG programme director urgent and emergency care, and Nick Reynolds, South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) county commander, said: "As many of you will know, we have been exploring the views of local people about the service through our ongoing listening exercise. Throughout this time funding for the car has continued and has not been reduced."

They said the process had been delayed due to the pandemic, adding that they were grateful for people's patients and understanding.

"We know how important it is to the communities of Purbeck and Swanage to have reassurance around the ongoing provision of healthcare services in the area," the letter added.

"Following our listening exercise, we can confirm that the service will remain as a 24/7 car and will continue to provide a valuable service.

"As previously stated, SWASFT, along with all health and social care providers, are continuing to be impacted by the inevitable increases of staff absences as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We would like to provide assurances to the communities that we are working hard to address this and to improve the staffing of the car moving forward.

"NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) would like to thank everyone who has been involved, along with those who have given their views."

Swanage town councillor Debby Monkhouse, who helped coordinate the campaign group to save the ambulance car, said: "We are delighted because given our location we desperately need a fast ambulance response vehicle to at least preserve life until an ambulance gets here."

Ms Monkhouse said the council would be asking to receive a report from health bosses going forward on the staffing level of the ambulance car and response times to incidents, so its operation could be monitored.

"At the end of the day it is about saving lives. Last year the paramedic car attended more than 800 rick to life cases.

"If the paramedic car was not there, people's chances of staying alive are seriously reduced."

Cllr Mike Parkes, chairman of the People and Health Overview Committee at Dorset Council, said: "Dorset Council has been working with Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and local ward members in Swanage over the past two years to ensure the continuation of the ambulance car in Swanage.

“We have a statutory role to represent the needs of residents who could be adversely affected by changes to health services, and we appreciate that the local communities were left with uncertainty about the future of the ambulance car over a long period of time.

“Dorset Council promised to set up its own task and finish group to look at the future provision of ambulance cover in the Swanage area, and recently wrote to the CCG asking for reassurance that there would not be any cuts to the service, or alternatively, give us their proposals for a public consultation on the matter so we could review the situation.

“We are delighted to have received news from the CCG that there will be no cuts to this service and the ambulance car will continue to serve the community in future.

“We know the service is vital for the local community and surrounding villages, administering life-saving support long before a conventional ambulance can reach many emergency cases.

“There is also a considerable distance to A&E facilities, and a high population of elderly and vulnerable residents.”

South Dorset MP Richard Drax said: “This is excellent news and I am delighted at the decision taken.

“This ambulance car provides invaluable reassurance, every hour of every day, to residents of Purbeck and Swanage. It has long been clear to me that the removal of this service would have severely reduced the help available to local communities and I have backed the campaign to retain it to the hilt.”

“Purbeck and Swanage are already at the end of the line geographically, and the knowledge that there was expert healthcare available, when it takes at least 45 minutes to reach the two nearest general hospitals, was comforting for many.”

“I understand that the CCG’s and Ambulance Service’s response to their listening exercise has been severely delayed by the impact of Covid and the vaccine rollouts, which has of course, increased local anxiety. I can only say how delighted and relieved I am that they have reached this decision and thank them.”