AMBULANCE response times have improved significantly across the area covered by Hywel Dda UHB, according to the latest figures released.
The data, for April 2016, shows that out of 179 ‘red’ calls, the Welsh Ambulance Service managed to respond to 118 at the scene within eight minutes.
The percentage of ‘red’ calls where the eight minute target was met – 67.4% – meets the Welsh Government’s target of 65% and is an improvement on February (63%) and March (61.8%).
Across Wales, 71% of red calls received an on-the-scene response within the target time, with only Powys (56%) failing to meet the 65% target. The best performer was Cardiff and Vale, with 80.3%.
The Welsh Ambulance Service’s interim director of operations Richard Lee said: “After some challenging times across the NHS in February and March, we were able to deliver an eight-minute response to more 70 per cent of immediately life-threatening red calls in April.
“More than 1,820 patients also received advice over the telephone from a nurse or a paramedic in our contact centres.
“Our teams work relentlessly every day to deliver the best service possible for our patients.
“As we continue to modernise we recognise that some patients still wait longer than we would like for help, but we continue to develop plans to ensure that month by month we deliver a service of which everyone in Wales can be proud.”
Health Secretary Vaughan Gething praised the efforts of staff:
He said: “I’m pleased to see that the new clinical response model is ensuring that people who need immediate intervention from our emergency ambulance clinicians and their partners are getting the care that they need.
“The Welsh Ambulance Service is working hard to improve its clinical performance as well as its responsiveness in rural areas like Powys, and I want to thank staff for their efforts.”
However, the Welsh Conservatives focussed on the failure to hit the target in one out of eight health board regions, showing that their flair for the creative interpretation of data has continued unabated into the fifth Assembly.
Welsh Conservative health spokesman Darren Millar AM said: “While it is welcome that Wales-wide ambulance response times seem to be improving, it is concerning to see that, in spite of the best efforts of hardworking ambulance staff, figures for a rurally-based health board are significantly worsening.
“With only 56% of ambulances arriving at a life-threatening incident within 8 minutes – against an already unambitious Welsh Government target of 65% – Powys Teaching health board’s responsiveness is down 10% on the same measure in March. That’s putting lives at risk.
“Welsh Conservatives have for a long time called for more consistent ambulance performance measures across the UK to enable comparisons in performance between the UK nations. Current Welsh targets mask true performance and undermine accountability.
“Ambulances queuing at emergency departments is still a common sight and is symbolic of wider pressures faced by a poorly managed health service.
“The new Cabinet Secretary for health must recognise the clear need to invest and modernise our ambulance service and address problems in our unscheduled care services to ensure they are fit for purpose.”
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