25 Oct 2007
At an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held on 16 October 2007 in London, the members of the Ambulance Service Association (ASA) voted to go ahead with proposals to fully merge the organisation with the NHS Confederation.
In recent months the ASA Board has looked closely at a number of options regarding the future of the ASA and has also consulted its member services for their views. As a result, the ASA Board balloted members who felt it was in the best interests of ambulance services to merge with the NHS Confederation.
The NHS Confederation will now establish an Ambulance Service Network led by its own Director, who will also be a director of the NHS Confederation.
Hayden Newton, Interim Chief Executive of the ASA says: "This merger is good news because it will enable the ambulance service to work more closely with other parts of the NHS and will provide ambulance services with the type of support they need to work within the modern NHS. The ASA Board has also agreed with the NHS Confederation that the existing assets of the ASA will be ring-fenced and will be managed by the Ambulance Network Board."
Gill Morgan, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents over 95 per cent of NHS organisations, commented: "I am delighted by this decision - the NHS Confederation believes that the voice of NHS leadership is strongest when we are able to represent both the collective view of the NHS and the distinct views of parts of the NHS. The new Ambulance Service Network will develop a strong and independent voice for the ambulance sector and will also work alongside the other networks we have established to determine our cross cutting work programme to represent issues that affect the whole NHS."
The full business transfer will take place with effect from the end of November and a few permanent ASA staff will become seconded to the NHS Confederation.
ENDS
1. The NHS Confederation represents more than 95% of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.
Please contact Carl Rees, ASA Communications Lead on 01273 328140 or 07958 547727 or Ruth Kennedy, Media Relations Officer, NHS Confederation on 020 7074 3312 or 078 8447 3086.
Last reviewed 29 Oct 2007