Ambulance on 999 call to Whiteley boy, 2, held up by road barrier

10:24am Wednesday 6th February 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Emma Streatfield, Senior Reporter

FURIOUS: Kerry Rudge with Harry, two. FURIOUS: Kerry Rudge with Harry, two.

THEY were desperately trying to reach a two-year-old boy in need of treatment – but road bollards barred the paramedics’ way.

Little Harry Rudge had suffered a suspected allergic reaction – but there was no way through for the ambulance.

Instead the paramedic crew had to find an alternative route, which added ten minutes to their journey.

And it was the FOURTH time in four years that paramedics had found their route blocked in the same road.

Luckily Harry recovered following the incident but now his furious mum Kerry is demanding the bollards are removed permanently.

The road is reserved as a bus route, which can also be used by emergency service vehicles, and links Botley Road to Yew Tree Drive.

But the mother-of-two, of Suffolk Drive, Whiteley, said the ambulance had to divert around Park Gate because they did not have a device to automatically lower the bollards blocking the route.

The bollards have now been left in their lowered state while this latest incident is investigated – but Mrs Rudge wants them to stay down permanently.

She said: “The paramedics were fuming and said they couldn’t believe the road is restricted that way.”

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A survey is currently being conducted on whether residents support a six-month trial opening of the bus route but Mrs Rudge, 34, is calling on Fareham Borough Council to keep it open long term.

“Ten minutes in an emergency could easily be a matter of life or death,” she said.

Fareham Borough Council leader Sean Woodward said the incident would be investigated with South Central Ambulance S e r v i c e (SCAS).

But he q u e s - t i o n e d why the sat e l l i t e navigation system on board the ambulance had led to the road – and why the crew were unable to lower the bollards.

The council is now considering putting a number at the site so the bollards can be lowered in an emergency.

Cllr Woodward said that to remove the barriers permanently would need planning permission.

A SCAS spokesman said all local ambulance crews have devices to lower the bollards.

But he said pressure on the service that day meant there were no local crews available so the nearest vehicle was sent and that crew did not have the device or the emergency number to lower them.

He said due to changes in the way SCAS operates it would look at the practicalities of giving all crews the emergency number.

Comments(16)

Frank28 says...
12:16pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Powered bollards are incredibly dangerous, and have caused damage to cars. It will probably take a death before they're removed permanently. Had Harry Rudge died because of a delay in his treatment, then the Council could be facing a corporate manslaughter charge.

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normbud says...
12:44pm Wed 6 Feb 13

These bollards have been been a controversial subject for several years
And should be removed ASAP .
If the family involved in the incident were Sean Woodwards family he would soon have them removed . It's time for common sense in the Fareham Borough council and get these Bollards removed .

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Hampshire Corn and Bread says...
12:51pm Wed 6 Feb 13

normbud wrote:
These bollards have been been a controversial subject for several years
And should be removed ASAP .
If the family involved in the incident were Sean Woodwards family he would soon have them removed . It's time for common sense in the Fareham Borough council and get these Bollards removed .
Well said, sadly I suspect it will drag on for some time to come.

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Inform Al says...
1:02pm Wed 6 Feb 13

If there's no cctv there the quickest resolution could be a chain saw.

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ToastyTea says...
1:06pm Wed 6 Feb 13

ok bad and what not, but what does this have to do with Southampton ? getting a bit desperate now for Skate news aren't you Echo!?

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Whiteley Man says...
1:16pm Wed 6 Feb 13

As soon as Woodward moves out to Curdridge, the bollards will go. It's a given.

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sotonbusdriver says...
1:55pm Wed 6 Feb 13

The easy answer is to leave the Bollards down, but install a Camera to catch people failing to obey the notice, which clearly states BUSES and EMERGENCY VEHICLES..
Anyone ignoring the signs should be fined heavily, as it is an infringement of Driving without due care and attention..

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normbud says...
2:02pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Easy solution remove signs Tarmac over bollards sack Woodward from office .job done everyone happy ( except Woodward )

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Ginger_cyclist says...
2:26pm Wed 6 Feb 13

ToastyTea wrote:
ok bad and what not, but what does this have to do with Southampton ? getting a bit desperate now for Skate news aren't you Echo!?
The daily echo isn't going to just report on stuff in Southampton because it's a newspaper that covers much of southern England and the whole of Hampshire.

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Niel says...
3:25pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Inform Al wrote:
If there's no cctv there the quickest resolution could be a chain saw.
http://www.romanse.o
rg.uk/CPCCTV/Cameras
/WBUS.htm

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Dresnez says...
3:25pm Wed 6 Feb 13

ToastyTea wrote:
ok bad and what not, but what does this have to do with Southampton ? getting a bit desperate now for Skate news aren't you Echo!?
ToastyTea......pathe
tic post mate. What does it matter whether it is in Portsmouth or Southampton. The point of the article was that emergency services were delayed by 10 minutes and a 2 yr old needed them asap.

Park Gate has SO post codes, Whitley has PO post codes.

If you need an ambulance and the only one available was from the Portsmouth depot then I am sure you wouldn't send it away and wait for one based in Soton.

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Niel says...
3:31pm Wed 6 Feb 13

"A SCAS spokesman said all local ambulance crews have devices to lower the bollards."

I wonder if that include's the 'contract' Ambulance's that cover the Fareham area?

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Hampshire Corn and Bread says...
4:02pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Niel wrote:
"A SCAS spokesman said all local ambulance crews have devices to lower the bollards."

I wonder if that include's the 'contract' Ambulance's that cover the Fareham area?
Ah, and there's the rub. Trying ensure all emergency vehicles have access is difficult.

Hopefully any resolution will include the Responders too.

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cantthinkofone says...
6:08pm Wed 6 Feb 13

I don't see anything wrong with the automatic bollard concept - but the system needs to be nationally standardised so that any emergency vehicle (even if not local) can use the routes.

Once upon a time that's what would have happened in the first place. But in the interests of 'competition' and privatisation we end up with unintended consequences like this.

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vpharm says...
11:26pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Should go to Boscombe in Dorset, it appears every year that Southern Gas networks are digging up that road, but they come along dig up the road & leave it for a while.

Road work repairs should be 24 hours a day working until the job is done to minimise delays to traffic. Hope the kid in the article is ok

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cantthinkofone says...
4:57pm Tue 12 Feb 13

vpharm wrote:
Should go to Boscombe in Dorset, it appears every year that Southern Gas networks are digging up that road, but they come along dig up the road & leave it for a while.

Road work repairs should be 24 hours a day working until the job is done to minimise delays to traffic. Hope the kid in the article is ok
That would require unsocial hours rates, cost more, and have to be absorbed by an increase in council tax or a cut to services. Maybe you're right and it should still be done, but it wouldn't be free.

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