 The service undertakes 3,000 missions a year |
Scotland's ambulance service has denied that a decision has been made to close the Dundee-based air emergency centre and move operations to England. A spokesman said staff were told six weeks ago that Gama Aviation, a private firm in Farnborough, could take over but that that was only one option.
The ambulance service is reviewing its �6m Scottish air service, which flies about 3,000 missions a year.
The MSP for Dundee East, Shona Robison, said it would be a "retrograde" step.
Gama Aviation is the preferred bidder for the new contract to run Scotland's air ambulance service, which is due to begin in 2006.
The company has proposed to replace the existing fleet with modern new ambulance aircraft to provide greater comfort, shorter flying time and improved infection control standards.
The air desk operation centre was established in Dundee in February last year after Scotland's eight ambulance operations rooms were re-structured into three emergency medical centres in Edinburgh, Inverness and Paisley.
A newspaper report on Wednesday said that the 17 air desk staff understood that their centre would be mothballed and their jobs relocated to the three medical centres.
Ms Robison, who is the Scottish National Party's health spokeswoman, said: "I am very concerned that staff in Dundee have been told that the centre will be mothballed and calls go to the 999 centre in Edinburgh who will then pass the calls to Farnborough to deal with.
"The staff in Dundee offer a very professional service, they know their stuff, they know the geography of Scotland and they know the aircraft.
"I don't understand why this has been thought of at all, it is a very retrograde step.
Islands' concern
"It is very important that someone sees the call from beginning to end. That is what the staff in Dundee do and they do it very well indeed."
Ms Robison said she planned to raise the matter with the Health Minister, Andy Kerr.
The proposed changes to the system have already been criticised by doctors and politicians in Orkney.
They have said their air ambulance service will compromise patient care when its base switches from the islands to the mainland in 2006.
The Scottish Ambulance Service review will be completed next month and a new contractor chosen by April next year.
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It is very important that someone sees the call from beginning to end. That is what the staff in Dundee do and they do it very well indeed 
