A COUNCILLOR is calling on health chiefs to increase ambulance cover in Clitheroe after a patient with a broken leg waited an hour to be taken to hospital.

Ribble Valley councillor Allan Knox will call on the Ribble Valley Council to back his call at a meeting tomorrow.

And health bosses today said they were aware of the problem and were due to consider the matter at a top meeting shortly.

Liberal Democrat representative Coun Knox said: "A concerned constituent contacted me after her husband fell late at night and broke his leg. He had to wait for an hour before an ambulance arrived.

"We recognise the wonderful service and professionalism of ambulance crews serving the Ribble Valley, but this service is placed under stress and strain, because for many hours of the day and night there is just one vehicle operating from Clitheroe Ambulance Station.

"I believe 75 per cent of calls are met in eight minutes or under, but what of the other 25 per cent if the ambulance is already out on a call? People can certainly expect a long wait and there is growing concern among local people over the provision of this service.

"We are calling on the health authorities to provide a second ambulance for the Ribble Valley and I will be putting forward a motion at a Ribble Valley Council meeting seeking cross-party support in this matter."

Mike Maguire, director of commissioning at the Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Primary Health Care Trust, said the matter was due to be discussed at a meeting of health bosses shortly.

"We are aware of the concerns and are due to discuss the issue of ambulance cover in Ribble Valley at the next meeting of our commissioning strategy group, which coordinates health commissioning across the county."

Peter Cooney, head of human resources at the Lancashire Ambulance Service, added: "Our performance is very closely measured by the government and response times are explicitly monitored. Last year we exceeded our response targets on a countywide basis, but don't have figures for specific areas.

"We have checked our records and not received a formal complaint from anyone in the Ribble Valley. We are also not aware of any concerns expressed by hospitals or GPs in the area, who we meet on a regular basis, to discuss performance."

Ambulance crews in Lancashire are currently locked in a nine-month dispute over working hours, meal breaks and staffing levels, and have threatened strike action.

In January, paramedics flagged up several crisis points to Lancashire Ambulance Service chief executive David Hill.

They claim to be regularly paged while handing over patients to hospital staff and are suffering from stress caused by overwork.

They have also accused ambulance bosses of achieving response time targets set by the government at the expense of their health and morale.