Hundreds object to plan to close ambulance stations

More than 700 people have signed a petition against plans to close three Sheffield ambulance stations and replace them with a single "super station".

Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) is planning to close the Middlewood, Batemoor and Longley stations and merge them into a new station at Attercliffe.

Sheffield Liberal Democrats, who launched the petition, are calling on YAS to hold public meetings before any final decisions are made.

YAS said having one major station will mean ambulances spend less time being unavailable, resulting in quicker response times to patients.

The plans were first announced in a report to Sheffield City Council in January 2025 and are set to happen over the next four years.

Councillor Sophie Crossthorn said the closures could impact response times across outlying communities.

"I've sat with families who have waited hours for an ambulance that should have been there for them in minutes," the Beauchief and Greenhill councillor said.

"These plans could make that situation worse."

The target for all English ambulance services is to respond to a category 2 call, which includes strokes, difficulty breathing and chest pains, in under 30 minutes.

The national target to hand over patients at hospital emergency departments is 15 minutes.

"Closing three stations and moving everything to one site in Attercliffe will leave communities like Bradfield and Dore dangerously exposed," the Liberal Democrat representative added.

"For residents in those areas, longer response times aren't an inconvenience, they can be the difference between life and death."

YAS said the three ambulance stations were in poor condition and "were not intended" for the large number of staff and vehicles currently operating from them.

"Ambulance stations are operational bases for our staff who start and finish their shifts there, with the majority dispatched to patients from hospitals or standby points across the city," a spokesperson said.

"The service has the opportunity to bid for some funding for a new station, which is only available if the trust is able to reach patients quicker.

"By locating vehicle preparation and cleaning, fleet services and staff in one location, ambulances will spend less time being unavailable, will be prepared and repaired more quickly, which will result in quicker response times to patients."

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North