21 Dec 2014

Ambulance times could be lengthened, leaked report shows

Ambulance waiting times in England could be lengthened from eight to 19 minutes in some cases, a leaked NHS memo reveals.

The leaked document shows plans to change the ambulance response time for some patients categorised as “Red 2”, which refers to people with serious but not the most life-threatening conditions.

The NHS report says the changes have been approved by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, subject to approval from the chief executives and medical directors of England’s 10 ambulance trusts.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said “no decisions have been made”, adding the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, “would only agree to proposed changes that improve response times for urgent cases”.

The current ambulance response time for life-threatening incidents is eight minutes, and the spokesman said the government “has absolutely no plans to double ambulance wait times”.

Incidents in the “Red 2” category include serious problems such as strokes and seizures.

The one higher category, “Red 1”, includes cardiac arrest, major bleeding and choking.

The proposed changes would mean about 40 per cent of Red 2 incidents being moved to a 19-minute response target by the first week of January 2015.

‘Panic move’

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham criticised Mr Hunt, saying the plan “has all the hallmarks of a panic move”.

“Rather than getting ambulance response times back up to established standards, it looks like he is running up the white flag,” he added.

“The situation in the NHS is now serious and Jeremy Hunt is failing to provide the leadership it desperately needs.

“While there may be a case for reviewing these rules, this is not the way to do it.

“It is nothing short of dangerous to make a snap decision at the start of the most difficult winter in the NHS for years.”

Mr Hunt tweeted a response to the Mail on Sunday’s headline on the story, which read “Secret plan to double ambulance wait times”.

“Categorically refute scaremongering MoS headline – no plans to double ambulance waiting times, and there never have been,” he said.

Professor Keith Willett, trauma surgeon and head of NHS acute care, said changes like those leaked “would need to be proposed by the senior doctors running ambulance services and agreed by the NHS nationally”.

“No such decisions have been taken on their proposals, nor will they be – one way or the other – until next year,” he added.