AS MONMOUTHSHIRE RISES FROM BOTTOM OF
AMBULANCE RESPONSE TIME LEAGUE TABLE
FEWER AMBULANCES MAKE TARGET RESPONSE TIMES
A media release on 20th February
William Graham (Conservative AM for South Wales East) responding to the latest statistics for Ambulance Services highlights:
“Once again these figure for December 2007, highlight that response times for ambulance services throughout South East Wales are the worst in Wales”.
“These figures are not a reflection upon our ambulance crews and paramedics, the responsibility lies with an Assembly Government that fails to ensure efficient investment in NHS services and their setting of un-realistic targets”.
“The Assembly Government set a target that by 2001 75% of immediately life-threatening emergency (Category A) calls would be responded to within 8 minutes. They failed to meet this target – so it was reduced to 65%, then revised downwards again to 60%. However, an average response time of 8 minutes for 60% category A calls throughout South Wales East has never been reached”.
“Monmouthshire is consistently records lower ambulance response times, compared to other counties in Wales. It was ‘bottom of the response time league table’ for October and November. In December it is 4 from bottom – with 42.6% of Category A calls being responded to within 8 minutes, a decline from 54.5% (during October) when it was bottom of the response time league table”
“We have had reviews, targets, strategies and extra investment in the ambulance service yet the problem appears to be getting worse, not better”.
“The Assembly Government must ensure effective action to reduce overall response times; but I expect a further ‘target announcement’ and continuing inefficient services”.
William Graham JP, AM
CHIEF WHIP, PARTY CHAIRMAN AND EUROPEAN SPOKESMAN
Email – William.Graham@Wales.gov.uk