RURAL ambulance services in North and East Yorkshire are being neglected because of a focus on urban areas, according to a new report.

The Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) found that Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (TENYAS) had focused its service in more urban populations, affecting the level of service available to patients in rural areas.

A TENYAS spokesman said the trust "readily accepts" it needed to do more work in rural areas, but said that it had recently invested significantly in these areas. Ambulance stations, including Whitby and Pateley Bridge, have been upgraded to 24-hour opening.

Mark Kennedy, chief officer at Harrogate and District Community Health Council, said: "They (TENYAS) have been investing, but response times in rural areas are always going to be a problem because of the geography. They need to continue looking carefully at services in rural areas, but we also have to look at volunteers to be first-time responders, to have a defibrillator in every village so the volunteers can do immediate first-aid until the ambulance arrives.

The CHI was concerned that technicians did not receive regular update training and that vehicles were not regularly checked to ensure they have the correct amount of equipment and drugs on board.

Updated: 10:42 Tuesday, March 04, 2003