Ambulance service paid out compensation in millions over collisions
YORKSHIRE’S AMBULANCE service has paid out millions of pounds in compensation through its insurance scheme for road collision claims involving its vehicles, The Yorkshire Post can exclusively reveal.
A total of 2,295 crashes involving ambulances or patient transfer vehicles were recorded by Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS) between 2015 and 2017.
And the trust was forced to pay out more than £6.6m over the two-year period through its insurance scheme in compensation claims, figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show.
One third of all the crashes happened as ambulances were driving to the scene of an emergency.
Paramedics and union officials told The Yorkshire Post that “very few” of the collisions were likely to have occurred at high speeds, and suggested the bulk were made up of minor bumps while manoeuvring through heavy traffic or narrow city centre streets.
They have warned that tiredness, long distance travelling to emergencies and a surge in traffic are all contributing factors.
Terry Cunliffe, regional officer for Unite the union, which represents ambulance staff, said: “I’m naturally concerned about accidents involving ambulance crew.
“Our members often work long shifts in some locations and I’m afraid accidents in some cases are inevitable.”
He said the nature of some callouts, where it can be the scene of a large-scale accident, mean collisions occur because of the dangerous situation they arrive at.
Mr Cunliffe also raised concerns about maintenance of vehicles and the standard they are kept at by the trust, but said drivers were rigorously tested before going behind the wheel.
He said: “The trust has a duty to maintain these vehicles to the highest standard. The safety of our staff and the public is paramount. Ambulance drivers have stringent requirements and tests. They are very competent drivers.”
The trust paid out £3.3m in compensation through its insurance scheme over collision claims involving its vehicles from April 2015 to March 2016, and £3.2m for 2016 to 2017.
Pressure group the Tax Payers’ Alliance urged the trust to take action but also to root out those who were playing the system with spurious demands for taxpayers’ cash.
But chief executive John O’Connell added: “Of course many of the payments made by the Trust are going to be entirely justified, as the most serious accidents can change lives.”
A spokesperson for YAS said: “The Trust has a comprehensive schedule for the routine maintenance of its vehicles which includes safety inspections for emergency vehicles every 10 weeks and non-emergency Patient Transport Service vehicles every 13 weeks.
“The servicing of vehicles follows manufacturers’ recommendations as a minimum, but our servicing programme tends to service vehicles earlier than these guidelines.
“We have just completed a full rota review across Yorkshire and the Humber. Staff were fully involved in this process to ensure their views helped to shape the new rotas which consist of eight, ten and 12-hour shifts.”