Alarm at rise in wait times for ambulances

Waiting times for ambulances in the region rose in December compared with November for the most serious incidents.

According to NHS statistics, people suffering from life threatening illnesses including heart attacks were waiting longer across the South West.

“It is disastrous that our local NHS services are under such severe pressure,” said Wera Hobhouse, the MP for Bath. “We need real investment in our area with a robust plan from the government to correct the situation immediately.

“The Conservatives have taken the South West for granted for decades and now we’re seeing local patients and families pay the price.

“When someone’s life is at risk, literally every minute counts.

“Health service wait times across the board are struggling, our local health staff are under immense pressure, and it looks like things are getting even worse.”

The statistics, from NHS England, show that average wait times for serious incidents have worsened in every region in England in the past month.

Locally, the statistics show that when comparing November with last month, ambulance wait times for calls in the South West had increased.

Wait times for the top-category of the most urgent calls in the South West reached highs of 11 minutes and 38 seconds in December.

This is a five per cent increase on November waiting times and over the NHS target of 7 minutes by nearly 5 minutes.

In addition, the second-most-urgent callouts stand at an average wait time in December of 1 hour, 13 minutes and 16 seconds, well over the NHS 18-minute target.

“Residents across Bath are rightly worried about ambulance services,” said Cllr Alison Born, Lib Dem cabinet member for social care on Bath and North East Somerset Council.

“The recent case of the elderly gentleman left waiting for hours is particularly upsetting and lays bare the damage done by a lack of funding in recent years.

“GPS are under pressure and now Accident and Emergency waiting times are getting out of hand,” she said. “People deserve much better. My sympathy is with the ambulance service and our key workers who are being put under this impossible pressure.”

Liberal Democrats are calling for the Government to commission an investigation by the Care Quality Commission without further delay.