The Opposition has charged that reduced emergency medical cover and increased wait times for ambulances could put people’s lives at risk.

Michael Dunkley, the Shadow Minister of Health, said senior medical staff had informed him that the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service’s need to put resources at the airport would mean reduced emergency availability elsewhere.

A Bermuda Hospitals Board spokeswoman confirmed to The Royal Gazette last night that wait times for emergency call-outs would be extended because of the changes.

She warned the changes would increase the number of hospital ambulance call-outs by up to 25 per cent, adding that it was expected this would increase wait times.

She said in a statement: “BHB can confirm that it has had to change how it manages its ambulance response.

“The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service is providing a first-responder service for east and west from Port Royal and Clearwater during the day and night, but will not be able to assist with transports back to the hospital.”

She added: “We estimate this change will increase the number of calls BHB responds to by about 20 to 25 per cent.

“We will be closely monitoring response times to understand the impact. We expect it will likely extend wait times, as our existing staff and ambulance fleet will have to attend to more calls.”

The spokeswoman said: “This is a change from the service that was provided, and similar to how emergency medical calls were managed before 2015 when a memorandum of understanding was signed that had BF&R assist with East End transports.”

The change in ambulance service came two weeks after the Bermuda Fire Service Association warned that two stations on the island could close owing to the switch to shift resources to the airport.

Talks have been continuing between the firefighters union and Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, after the minister denied union claims that two fire stations would be closed to enable sufficient cover at the airport.

Firefighters are used as first responders to many collisions and other health emergencies, and provide emergency medical services at the scene and transport to the hospital in some cases.

Mr Weeks has twice promised to issue a joint statement on the issue, but nothing has been forthcoming.

The Government refused to comment on the ambulance situation last week, directing all inquiries to the BHB and the BFRS, with Mr Dunkley describing Mr Weeks as being “missing in action”.

The One Bermuda Alliance spokesman told The Royal Gazette: “I am very concerned about the situation, particularly as regards response times due to the Government’s focus on making sure adequate emergency resources are available at the airport.

“The rest of the island needs adequate emergency response services as well.

“It is unacceptable for the Government to have made this decision, which has the potential to increase response time and decrease public safety as we head into a busy summer season.

“Ambulances would take the best part of 30 minutes to get from a centralised control to Dockyard. And it will be a similar scenario for the east of the island.

“I reached out to a senior person at the hospital regarding this situation and they told me that the requirement to have more fire service personnel stationed at the airport has placed constraints on the ability of the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service.

“They told me the arrangements were that BHB will have an ambulance in the east and one in the west during the days. There will also be one ambulance located at KEMH.

“And at night-time, as a temporary measure, BHB will have two ambulances stationed at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital at nights, and dispatches will be done from KEMH at nights.”

The hospital spokeswoman did not confirm the placement of ambulances at the eastern and western ends of the island, but did say that the fire service would not be transporting patients back to the hospital after providing EMT service at the scene.

Mr Weeks met with the BFSA on March, 30 after which he promised both sides would issue a joint statement.

He said at the time that no fire stations would close, but the Opposition has suggested they will have only a skeleton staff to avoid the impression they are closed.

Mr Dunkley added: “This is no way to treat public safety in Bermuda.

“The Government has not been transparent on this; people deserve to know what’s going on here.”

He said: “The Government has not been upfront with the public about the impact of all this or the allocation of resources across the stations.

“And the Minister of National Security is missing in action. There was supposed to be a joint statement more than a week ago — what happened to that?”

Asked about the situation, a government spokeswoman told The Royal Gazette: “KEMH can tell you about their ambulances.”

A BFSA letter to Mr Weeks, previously reported by The Royal Gazette, referred to a meeting on March 15 at which the association stated that Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service senior managers told staff about the changes that would come into force on April 1, making the Airport Operations Department “the focus of the 2023-24 budget allocation for the BFRS”.

The fire service’s Budget for this year is $14.9 million, a $1.7 million increase on the original 2022 Budget, but a $2.1 million decrease from the $17 million that was actually spent after additional overseas firefighters had to be hired to cover the airport.

The BFSA also stated that the halting of “acting up” of officers to the level of sergeant meant there would not be enough senior staff to keep all three fire stations open.

Coupled with the ending of operational overtime and reassigning posts to the airport division, this would mean delays in call-out times of up to one hour with services centralised in Hamilton, leaving the east and west of the island without dedicated coverage, said the BFSA.

The BFSA letter stated that the impact could mean: “Potential loss of life and property. The inability to recall staff to cover shortages and limiting acting-up will cause up to two stations to close.

“This will result in the centralisation of resources and remaining personnel will report to Hamilton Station.

The letter added: “Residents and businesses in the east and/or west will be left without dedicated fire and rescue coverage or ambulance coverage in the east as BFRS operate the eastern ambulance. They will have to depend on response from Hamilton.

“Response times will likely increase on average to about ten to 15 minutes to about 15 to 30 minutes.

“In instances when the Hamilton station may be engaged, then response times will increase further; some to about 60 minutes.”

The letter stated that other impacts could include “decreased morale throughout sections of the BFRS and increased stress on dispatchers as they navigate deploying the now-limited resources”.

The fire service and the BFSA were contacted for comment.