Torfaen Ambulance Response Times "bottom of the pile"

12.00.00am GMT Wed 7th Jan 2009

Mike German discusses ambulance problems

Figures released by the Welsh Assembly Government on Ambulance Response times has led to a local Assembly member saying that 'Torfaen continues to be bottom of the pile' in Wales.

Michael German, Liberal Democrat Assembly member for South East Wales, was commenting on the monthly release of figures which show that only 39 per cent of ambulances arrived within their eight minute target in November 2008."The All-Wales target is 60 per cent and Torfaen is fixed at the bottom of the league table in Wales with over 60 per cent of emergency responses failing to arrive at the scene within 8 minutes."

He added, "This winter we are seeing a dramatic fall in performance to this vital target. In September 47 per cent of calls were responded to by the target and October 45 per cent. The continuing failure of the Ambulance Service to reach its 65% target rate of arriving at a scene within eight minutes is very worrying. Yet there has been no improvement, in fact they are getting further and further from that target each month. That is a cause for grave concern."

"It doesn't matter which way you look at it, more than half of all emergencies requiring an ambulance at the scene do not arrive within the vital eight minute target.

"Last month we saw A&E departments across South Wales operating at full capacity and the situation is not improving. The cold snap is putting a huge demand on our hospitals and our Ambulance Service. I am extremely worried that despite the best efforts of a hard-working and dedicated staff, our National Health Service won't be able to cope.

"I will be pressing the Minister in the new National Assembly term to take action over the Ambulance Service. They are being crippled by an historical debt that is affecting their ability to invest to improve. Only when this is dealt with will we see the improvements the service needs so urgently"

NOTES:

Ambulance stats for November 2008:

http://wales.gov.uk/topics/statistics/headlines/health2009/hdw20090107/?lang=en

Ambulance stats for October 2008:

http://wales.gov.uk/docs/statistics/2008/081203sdr2062008en.pdf?lang=en

Ambulance stats for September 2008:

http://new.wales.gov.uk/statsdocs/health/sdr173-2008.pdf