FRONTLINE medics fear response times could be seriously affected by plans to move Bridport's ambulances to the town's community hospital.

The move, part of a county-wide shake up announced by Dorset NHS Ambulance Trust this week, is due to new ambulances being too big for the old station and the need for £80,000 of repairs.

Officials claim the move will improve the service as paramedics would be nearer to hospitals, allowing crews to liase more closely with medical staff.

But critics claim the closure of ambulance stations may be financially motivated because the resulting sale of the land would land a cash windfall for the trust.

A Dorset ambulance worker, who asked not to be named, said to move the Bridport crews from their Park Road base to the hospital could lead to delays in them reaching casualities.

"It is going to cause problems and we have severe reservations about it," he said. "Negotiating the traffic in North Allington would be horrendous and it would definitely reduce response times."

He said crews also deplored the fact that there had been no negotiations with the men on the ground - the trust had simply turned up and told them what they intended to do.

At present there is no room on the hospital site to house them.

He said that they hoped the trust might still reconsider. "We are working on it," he added.

One paramedic said: "Quite a few people are worried about this because it would mean us having to work in cramped conditions which could cause problems particularly in emergency cases," he said.

"Many people think this plan may be more motivated by finances than anything else."

The trust says the Bridport station must close because the site is in need of £80,000 worth of repairs, some because the new-type ambulances cannot fit in the station.

Trevor Jones, chairman of the Dorset NHS Ambulance Trust, insisted the trust had consulted staff at Bridport about the move.

He said: "The ambulance trust is always giving thought to the best way of running its services and keeping up-to-date. There is a particular problem at Bridport in that the station simply does not meet modern regulations and requirements.

"An example of this is that we can't get new-style ambulance vehicles into garages because they simply will not fit. We're currently exploring the idea of closing the station in Bridport and moving the crews so that they work out of the hospital in the town.

"We've consulted with staff on this idea and we think it is a proposal with real potential as it would mean them working with other medical professionals and can also help in and around the hospital."

Mr Jones also refused to rule out further closures across the county along similar lines to the Bridport plan.

Bridport mayor Geoff Ackerman said the shift to the hospital would have benefits. The current station was run down and needed a lot of money spent on it and the hospital site would be more central.

But he agreed that the traffic congestion in North Allington would be a problem.