Longer waiting times for ambulances is a major concern for many Pendle residents. It is an issue I witness first-hand, including as a Community First Responder. I know the immense pressure our local ambulance staff at the North West Ambulance Service are under.
Unfortunately, too many people do experience long ambulance waiting times. In some cases, that’s the right decision as ambulance staff prioritise those with more serious conditions that need urgent attention especially at peak times. However, sometimes those in genuine emergencies have also had to wait too long. No-one genuinely requiring an ambulance should experience any unnecessary delay.
The current system is 40 years old and no longer works as it should. Issues hindering performance include inefficiencies in the ways ambulance crews have to operate.
For example, multiple vehicles are often dispatched to the same urgent case. Meanwhile, other patients fail to receive as quick a response. Other issues include hidden waiting times resulting from the wrong vehicle being allocated because it can get there quicker, and call-handling staff being given only 60 seconds to make decisions.
This is now being addressed by the Government as part of major reforms announced in July to the way ambulance response times are measured and how conditions are identified.
The reforms will mean more time for and faster identification of potential life-threatening conditions which mean that 250 more lives could be saved per year. It will also mean that new target response times will apply to every patient, not just those in immediate need.
Pilot testing of the new system has already seen millions of calls being taken over the past 18 months with encouraging results suggesting 750,000 more patients per year could receive an immediate ambulance response.
These reforms will be good for patients, and the incredible ambulance crews and NHS staff who work so hard to deliver a high-quality service and save lives. I visited Airedale Hospital last week to discuss the challenges they are facing and continue to call for more support for our local NHS services. Our health services need extra investment but also a Government prepared to back the reforms required to deliver the best possible outcome for patients.