HEALTH leaders were making contingency plans today to ensure the service for patients continues during the petrol crisis.

Ambulances in Herefordshire and Worcestershire have cancelled all non-important transport until the fuel crisis is over.

The service will only be operating for emergencies, cancer and renal treatments as well as other highly specialised treatments.

"We've had to curtail non-emergency trips to conserve fuel, but we have put a contingency plan in place," said Stephen McGuinness, director of operations.

"We're compiling, minute-by-minute, the fuel availability of garages in both counties.

"Garages are 'ring-fencing' fuel for emergency ambulance use only."

Ambulance drivers have been told to ensure that their vehicles tanks do not drop below three-quarters full.

The Hereford and Worcester Ambulance NHS Trust's fleet is fuelled by either unleaded petrol or diesel. Should supplies of unleaded run dry in Herefordshire or Worcestershire, the trust will use only diesel vehicles.

"We will be able to fuel vehicles if the situation worsens," said Mr McGuinness.

"The majority of our vehicles are diesel and we have arrangements with the other emergency services to ensure we can operate."

The Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust was planning how it could ensure staff reached work earlier this morning.

"We're obviously affected by the ambulances and non-urgent patients," said a spokeswoman.

"We're currently looking at how we can get staff to work if they are faced with petrol shortages.

"However, inter-hospital transport won't be affected by the crisis.

"There will be bed blocking but that's not just because of the petrol crisis."

Jayne Stock, food service manager for Worcester's WRVS - which supplies meals on wheels to the elderly - said she was waiting by the telephone to hear from volunteers today.

"We're also waiting for the local authority, to hear what the emergency planning scheme is," she said.

"We're seen as an emergency service and we'll do our very best to get the meals out. I think it will really start to have an effect tomorrow."