South Essex ambulance stations are in the firing line under radical proposals which could leave just a handful open, it has been revealed.

Health chiefs at the Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust have earmarked 22 stations for closure, leaving nine "resource centres".

Among those set to go are stations at Southend, Shoebury, Billericay, Brentwood, Dunmow, Burnham, Maldon, Saffron Walden and Witham, according to a leaked document.

The Trust has refused to release details of affected stations until it consults staff in the next fortnight.

However, it said no jobs would be affected by the shake-up which, it claimed, would bring faster and more efficient emergency cover to the county.

Unison, which represents 19,000 ambulance workers across the country, is fighting the cutbacks and may consider balloting for industrial action.

Ian Barber, from Unison, said: "We think it would be a retrograde step and that it is being done for financial reasons rather than for the benefit of the service. We are absolutely opposed to ambulance crews sited in laybys and car parks during shifts."

Paul Leaman, director of operations at Essex Ambulance NHS Trust, confirmed it was considering keeping nine stations open.

He said: "It will be going out to consultation to staff. Once I have talked to them I will identify which stations are being looked at." He said the trust wanted to provide a speedy response which did not always include going out from an ambulance station.

Essex ambulance crews deal with more than 400 emergency calls in an average day. Mr Leaman said: "Crews don't have time to get a cup of tea at a station. Why invest money in these locations when they are lying empty and unused?"

The trust rejected speculation that new ambulance sites would be in car parks and laybys and said it wants to use health centres and other prominent locations. It said 58 more crews would soon be available in Essex, alongside a Government cash injection of £1.25 million.

Shoebury ward Tory Councillor Verina Wilson was shocked to hear of the prospect of Shoebury ambulance station closing.

She said: "We don't want to lose anything. It's so easy to take it away and then not be able to get it back.

"We saw the same thing when they took the neighbourhood beat officers away. They then agreed that it didn't particularly work."

Mrs Wilson said the ambulance station in Campfield Road gave good access to all parts of Shoebury.

As for the idea of having ambulances sited at key locations and in lay-bys, she said: "I don't think there's anywhere like that within the Southend area where you could put an ambulance."

"We have such a large population here in such a close conurbation. I know for sure that people in Shoebury would feel that we are always losing something."

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