AMBULANCE crews have described new speed humps at Watford General Hospital as "stupid" claiming they jolt fragile patients and put paramedics at risk.

Four humps designed to slow traffic were put in recently prompting a stream of complaints from paramedics, doctors and patients. They might have to be removed as a result of the outcry.

Ambulances have to drive over three of the humps to get to the Accident and Emergency department where the most serious cases are taken.

One paramedic for Beds and Herts ambulance service said: "Even going over slowly we had a patient with a fractured humerus screaming out in pain. It is bad enough with speed humps in the roads, which already slow us down.

"We are all saying 'what a stupid thing to do'. They have put these humps in and didn't even consult the ambulance service. There was no warning and we are completely shocked it is ridiculous."

She added: "It was bad enough going over with someone with a broken arm or collar bone, what about someone with spinal injuries?"

The paramedic said staff were also concerned about their own safety. She added: "If you are doing cardiac massage you have to stand up in the back of the vehicle so these humps make it dangerous for us if we are working on a patient on the way in."

Both the Beds and Herts Ambulance Service and London Ambulance Service have complained saying they were not consulted about the humps, which were authorised by the West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

But a spokesman for the trust said ambulance services had been consulted. He said the humps had been designed to be vehicle-friendly.

He said: "What has actually happened is we had to do it in two stages to minimise disruption to patient access.

"They were finished on Tuesday. What ambulance drivers saw last week was quite a steep hump. What we did on Tuesday is level them out so they are now about three metres long and have no impact on vehicles."

The humps were a part of a scheme to improve the roads at the hospital and make dropping off and picking up patients safer, he said.

A spokesman for the London Ambulance service said: "We have concerns about the humps reported to management by staff and one of our officers is looking into at at the moment. But, generally, we do welcome measures to improve road safety."

Representatives from Beds and Herts were expected to meet with the hospital's estate manager today at Watford Ambulance Station

A spokesman for the service said: "These bumps do cause problems and we weren't consulted. But we are working closely with the trust and it is going to be resolved. They will either be removed or modified."

November 9, 2001 19:00