The planned shake-up of the district’s ambulance service is all about cost-cutting and will jeopardise patient care, union Unite warned.

A key proposal unveiled to staff on Monday by Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the introduction of emergency care assistants to work alongside paramedics.

Unite regional officer Terry Cunliffe said: “Currently, paramedics undergo a two-year degree course to equip them with the correct skills to respond to patients.

“The new proposed emergency care assistant role will be responding to emergencies with only six weeks training.

“This could lead to situations, such as multiple car crashes and house fires, when the emergency care assistants won’t have the necessary skills to support the paramedic. Our biggest concern is about patient care.

“Members of the public will have a decreased level of clinical response with overworked staff whose morale has been badly hit by this misguided de-skilling plan.”

Unite says more than 300 trust staff will be demoted and de-skilled as a result of the plans and the majority will have little or no opportunity of further training for at least seven years.

David Whiting, chief executive at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, denied that care standards would drop.

He said: “I would like to reassure members of the public that our proposals are focused on delivering a high quality and responsive service but must be affordable.