AMBULANCE chiefs have stopped an experienced volunteer life-saving medic from driving to emergencies on blue lights, sparking fears the time delay could cost lives.

Gavin Palin has been with the ambulance service in Nantwich for 23 years and has responded to life-threatening calls, such as cardiac arrests, on blue lights in the area for the past two decades.

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has now stopped him driving on blue lights saying new legislation dictates he should have undertaken training by the ambulance trust.

Gavin insists he has completed all the training with NWAS.

NWAS also says the legislation states ‘any vehicle must, at the very least, be capable of conveying sick, injured or disabled persons'.

But the service appears to be referring to out-of-date legislation regarding this.

A letter from the Department of Transport, dated April 2024, to former Crewe & Nantwich MP Kieran Mullan, who had sought clarification on Gavin’s behalf, states there has been ‘corrective legislation to allow NHS ambulance services to continue responding to 999 calls using rapid response vehicles and motorcycles’.

It said this would allow ‘voluntary sector personnel… to continue supporting the ambulance service in responding to emergencies’.

Gavin PalinGavin Palin (Image: Supplied)

Gavin told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “I have completed all the training I should have done with NWAS.

“I have done the refresher courses. I have asked NWAS for my file, which would show this, but they have not supplied it to me.

“In November last year, when I went for my driving refresher, the instructor said I couldn’t do it because he didn’t have my driving records.”

Since his blue-light ban, Gavin has been stuck in traffic on his way to emergencies.

“I was called to one incident where, although I was the closest vehicle when ambulance control called me, I was actually the third to arrive because I was stuck in traffic,” he said.

The person died.

Gavin said: “I can’t say that person would not have died if I’d got there earlier, but I can say they would have had a greater chance of survival.”

Nantwich Town Council, which has paid the insurance for two ambulance response cars for more than a decade, has written to NWAS and held talks with two top bosses.

In the letter the town council said: “NWAS does not appear to value the unique skills of Mr Palin and has not learnt from the past where a similar situation arose between 2008 and 2010.“

This refers to a similar occurrence in 2008 when NWAS removed Gavin’s permission to drive on blue lights leading to more than 1,000 people marching through Nantwich in protest.

A 10,000-signature petition was delivered to 10 Downing Street by the then MP, Edward Timpson, and Nantwich Town Council.

After a two-year campaign, NWAS reinstated the blue-light permission.

A letter from the NWAS chief exec at that time, Darren Hurrell, said it had been agreed Gavin would be an ‘honorary member of staff’ to enable him to drive using blue lights.

It continued: “As part of this agreement, Gavin also gave a commitment to work towards his Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) level 1 course over the next 12 months which, when completed, will increase the range of responses which he can actively attend.”

Gavin has the certificate to show he completed the course.

NWAS this week told the LDRS, Gavin was an ‘enhanced community first responder’ not an EMT1.

However, his official NWAS ID badge identifies him as ‘Gavin Palin, EMT1, paramedic emergency service’.

And a press release written by the ambulance service and posted on its website two years ago, also refers to him as ‘emergency medical technician Gavin Palin’.

The LDRS asked NWAS why Gavin had been stopped from driving on blue lights when this could potentially cost a patient their life.

An NWAS spokesperson said: “We stand by our judgement of the legal exemptions available; however, over and above these, we have the responsibility to keep staff and the public safe when responding to emergencies.

“Because of the risks connected with high-speed responses, we don’t allow any volunteer community first responders (CFRs) to drive on blue lights while travelling to patients in support of our crews.

“While we understand Mr Palin’s frustrations, we believe there are no grounds to justify a different position in relation to one individual.

“We greatly appreciate his passion and commitment to the ambulance service over the last 20 years and recognise the valuable contributions he makes.”