Ambulancemens' core duties will not be transferred to other organisations, nor will resources be cut, the Fire Services Department says, with 97 officers to be recruited in 2006-07.

In response to a planned petition by the Ambulancemen's Union tomorrow, the department said it is reviewing the modes of ambulance service delivery to ensure resources are put to better use and meet growing demand.

One of the areas under review is the handling of urgent calls from the Hospital Authority which involve the transfer of patients from one hospital or medical institution to another. At present, the internal target is to respond to such calls within an hour.

The department is studying whether the Auxiliary Medical Service can help handle some of the calls based on assessment by medical staff. This can reduce the workload of officers and enable them to focus on handling emergencies.

Any change will only be considered under the condition that appropriate medical services for patients are not affected. Ambulance staff will be consulted when a more concrete proposal is available. It will not involve any outsourcing as the Auxiliary Medical Service is also a Government department.