WENSLEYDALE didn't get the promised 24-hour ambulance coverage on April 1 because the money for it had not yet been allocated, the Lower Wensleydale Parish Forum was told last week.

"I find this astonishing," said Mrs Maureen Hewett-Hicks of Hunton. "I have been fighting for this for years, and I was assured this service would start on April 1." She said she had been told this by a senior executive of the Primary Care Group (PCG) on Thursday, March 28.

"You will be getting 24-hour cover but we have only just got the money,' explained Bob Rose, representing the Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance NHS Trust (Tenyas).

He told the meeting at Redmire that the ambulance service was now buying Preston's Garage at Bainbridge. It planned to convert this into a state-of- the-art ambulance depot with training facilities which could be used by the community for projects like the first responders scheme.

Later, Trevor Molton, the chief executive of Tenyas, told the D&S that it had only just negotiated the contract with the Primary Care Trust (PCT) which had now taken over from the PCG. It would now start advertising for the six additional staff needed to run a 24-hour service at Bainbridge.

He explained that if the applicants required training it might be September before 24-hour coverage could be provided. This could be speeded up if trained personnel applied.

It would not be easy because the present station was so small, he said, but they would start as soon as possible because of promises made to the people of Wensleydale.

When the 24-hour service is started it will no longer be necessary for ambulance staff to live in Bainbridge. Mr Rose pointed out that the cost of even a two-bedroomed terraced house in the village was often beyond the means of ambulance staff. With the new service they will be able to live where accommodation is cheaper.

The PCT stated this week that a further £120,000 of new money had been committed from April 1 to take Bainbridge to 24-hour operation. Thanks to additional investment by the PCT and its forerunner, the Primary Care Group, the performance of the ambulance service in Hambleton and Richmondshire had improved.

The objective was to respond to 75pc of life-threatening events within eight minutes. "In the very rural area of Hambleton and Richmonshire performance has improved from 52.6pc in July 2001 to 64.8pc by the end of March 2002," a spokesman said