Ambulance services should be integrated with fire and police in order to facilitate further government spending cuts, the Home Secretary Theresa May has said.
In a speech to think tank Reform, May (pictured) said that in the future emergency services could share “back office functions” and office space.
Police and fire services have begun to integrate in some areas, such as Northamptonshire.
Ambulance services should be integrated with fire and police in order to facilitate further government spending cuts, the Home Secretary Theresa May has said.
In a speech to think tank Reform, May (pictured) said that in the future emergency services could share “back office functions” and office space.
Police and fire services have begun to integrate in some areas, such as Northamptonshire.
A joint operations planning team has been launched by the Police and Crime Commissioner Adam Simmonds in the area.
Examples from across the UK include a saving of £4 million in Hampshire, where the police, fire service and county council are sharing offices. And £3.5 million is expected to be saved in Merseyside, when fire and police services share a control room.
May said: “The emergency services need to collaborate to make it easier to meet public expectations. With a still-large deficit and a record stock of debt, there will need to be further spending cuts, as even labour acknowledge.
“So in policing in the future, I believe we will need to work towards the integration of the three emergency services.”
