PUBLIC servants have become used to change. They work for a Government with a mania for management shake-ups, target-setting and the like. Many ministers suffer withdrawal symptoms if they fail to meddle in the running of schools, hospitals and police stations for a few days.

But even by the standards of these restless times, North Yorkshire ambulance personnel have endured more upheaval than most. A list of the chops and changes in the service makes dizzying reading.

Six years ago, ambulance staff went public about bullying bosses. A few months later, an official inquiry condemned the management style and the trust chairman resigned.

The new regime was soon under fire. Response times to rural emergencies were 20 per cent behind the target.

As a result, three years ago the North Yorkshire Ambulance Service merged with its counterparts in Cleveland and Humberside to form a super-trust - TENYAS.

Response times barely moved. This time the new trust's chief executive quit. The next boss, Trevor Molton, promised to ensure significant improvements in 100 days. His shake-up did the trick, and the service began to hit the response time targets.

What a whirlwind few years. Ambulance staff have coped with every new initiative, never compromising their commitment to patients: their exemplary response to the Selby rail disaster proved that.

Now staff are facing yet another revolution. In March, TENYAS announced it was forming an official collaboration with the West Yorkshire service. And today a bid to merge with both that trust and the North East Ambulance Service was announced.

This will be morale-sapping news for a staff weary of change. As for patients, they have only recently enjoyed an ambulance service able to hit response times. They will need to be convinced that an even larger ambulance trust will bring substantial benefits.

Otherwise, the message from both ambulance staff and the public will be: leave well alone.

Updated: 10:37 Friday, June 28, 2002