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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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Ambulance service needs investment
March 18, 2010 12:00 AM
By Peter Black in Seaside News April 2010
By Peter Black in Seaside News April 2010
Research by the Welsh Liberal Democrats has shown that in 2009, there were more than 9,200 Category A 'emergency' incidents that the Welsh Ambulance Service took over twenty minutes to respond to.
Category A 'emergency' calls are ones that are classed as immediately life threatening, such as heart attacks. The Welsh Assembly Government target is for these calls to be responded to within eight minutes in at least 65% of cases across Wales, a target that is frequently missed.
I have raised the issue of the waiting times and budget deficit of the Ambulance Service with the First Minister in First Minister's Questions. The First Minister agreed that the situation is unacceptable.
In a life threatening emergency every minute counts. The Government's eight minute target is based upon maximising survival rates and for the target to be missed by such a degree is a sign of just how dire the situation is."
An independent report on the service has found that it is underfunded to the tune of £5 million per year, and that it loses a further £2 million due to delays in transfers at A&E departments. Without that funding the service will continue to miss targets and lives will continue to be put at risk.
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