37% Of Ambulances Missed Target For Life Threatening Emergencies


Number in borough hitting response time targets fell 19% in six months

Analysis of London Ambulance Service response times by Labour London Assembly Member Fiona Twycross, has shown that the number of ambulances call outs in the capital meeting the 8 minute emergency response time target has dropped by 19% to only 62%. In Wandsworth 37% of emergency responses missed the 8 minute target.

Fiona Twycross AM said that the response times show the severe strain being placed on the London Ambulance Service as a result of a rise in calls at the same time as Government cuts of £53m from the London Ambulance Service budget.

In addition to the reductions in response times figures released this week showed that the London Ambulance Service spent £9m on outsourcing to private ambulances last year, this figure was up from only £795,635 in 2011/12, a rise of 1011%.

Fiona Twycross AM, Labour Londonwide Assembly Member, said: “Spending almost £9m a year on private ambulances shows just how far the Government is willing to privatise the London NHS. The amount given to private companies to run ambulance services has rocketed by 1011% in the last two years yet the latest figures show ambulance response times have gone down by nearly two minutes in the last six months.

“Ambulances in Wandsworth are now only hitting the 8 minute response time 63% of the time. That means patients with potentially life threatening conditions being left waiting far longer than they should be - the results could be devastating.

“With the NHS in London facing massive financial challenges people will question why we are paying profit making companies to deliver blue light services.”

- London Ambulance Service figure’s for the amount of call outs reached within the 8 minute target show:

Mar-14

Apr-14

May-14

Jun-14

Jul-14

Aug-14

Aug- 14 missed target

Difference over 6 months

Barking & Dagenham

76%

67%

61%

56%

60%

52%

48%

-24%

Barnet

76%

63%

62%

58%

54%

56%

44%

-20%

Bexley

82%

69%

75%

72%

63%

69%

31%

-13%

Brent

78%

66%

64%

60%

56%

57%

43%

-21%

Bromley

79%

71%

73%

68%

65%

62%

38%

-17%

Camden

87%

80%

75%

70%

67%

69%

31%

-18%

City & Hackney

81%

68%

68%

66%

64%

63%

37%

-18%

Croydon

79%

73%

73%

65%

62%

62%

38%

-17%

Ealing

78%

66%

64%

59%

52%

58%

42%

-20%

Enfield

81%

67%

68%

60%

55%

61%

39%

-20%

Greenwich

85%

78%

78%

72%

68%

69%

31%

-16%

Hammersmith & Fulham

81%

76%

70%

66%

59%

65%

35%

-16%

Haringey

76%

62%

64%

58%

57%

55%

45%

-21%

Harrow

81%

68%

70%

67%

61%

63%

37%

-18%

Havering

78%

69%

65%

60%

61%

60%

40%

-18%

Hillingdon

79%

71%

70%

66%

61%

65%

35%

-14%

Hounslow

75%

67%

64%

59%

57%

60%

40%

-15%

Islington

84%

70%

69%

64%

61%

61%

39%

-23%

Kensington & Chelsea

83%

75%

73%

66%

65%

72%

28%

-11%

Kingston

83%

72%

74%

67%

58%

63%

37%

-20%

Lambeth

84%

78%

76%

70%

68%

68%

32%

-16%

Lewisham

80%

73%

74%

67%

64%

62%

38%

-18%

Merton & Sutton

81%

73%

72%

68%

62%

65%

35%

-16%

Newham

85%

73%

67%

63%

60%

59%

41%

-26%

Redbridge

81%

69%

63%

58%

56%

52%

48%

-29%

Richmond & Twickenham

78%

67%

67%

60%

55%

59%

41%

-19%

Southwark

85%

77%

76%

72%

69%

69%

31%

-16%

Tower Hamlets

84%

72%

69%

65%

65%

64%

36%

-20%

Waltham Forest

78%

64%

59%

54%

53%

52%

48%

-26%

Wandsworth

82%

75%

72%

63%

59%

63%

37%

-19%

Westminster

85%

77%

74%

73%

67%

70%

30%

-15%

Whole London

81%

71%

69%

64%

61%

62%

38%

-19%

 

 

October 29, 2014