Trials to determine whether ambulances will be stationed permanently at both ends of the Island have begun.

A Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) ambulance is currently based in the West End, while a Fire Service ambulance is responding to emergency calls in the East End.

The scheme to increase ambulance coverage outside Hamilton was announced during the Throne Speech this year.

St George’s MP, Kenneth Bascome, told The Royal Gazette that an ambulance needed to be permanently stationed in St George or St David’s to cut waiting times.

“We need a full-time ambulance in St George,” he said.

“It seems to be an unnecessary added cost to have EMTs respond initially to an emergency, and then they call an ambulance if it is needed.

“It makes much more sense to simply station an ambulance permanently in the East End.

“It is something I feel even more strongly about since my wife passed.

“I’m not saying it would have definitely made a difference, but it might have done.

“And surely moving forward it would be better for everyone in St George and St David’s that we had a more immediate medical response to emergencies rather than waiting for an ambulance to arrive from the hospital.”

A BHB spokeswoman said that the ambulance trials will be reviewed in the coming weeks and a final decision will then be made on when the full-time service will be launched.

She added: “As announced in the Throne Speech in November, it is the intention of Government to place ambulances in the eastern and western ends of the Island.

“Bermuda Hospitals Board and Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS) are doing trials at this time to ascertain if this is feasible.

“The public will see a BHB ambulance based in the west end and BFRS ambulance responding to calls in the east end. This will be reviewed over the next couple of weeks.

“An announcement will be made to the public when this service will commence on a full-time basis.”