- Murad Qureshi AM finds the number of ambulances hitting their response time targets in Westminster have significantly dropped over the last 6 months
- Ambulances in Westminster missed target of getting to life-threatening emergencies in under 8 minutes 30% of the time in August
- Despite the fall spending on Private Ambulances has risen by over 1000% to almost £9m
Analysis of London Ambulance Service response times by Labour London Assembly Member Murad Qureshi AM, 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 Westminster 30% of emergency responses missed the 8 minute target.
Murad Qureshi 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%.
Murad Qureshi AM, Labour London wide 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 Westminster are now only hitting the 8 minute response time 30% 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.”
Notes
- Murad Qureshi AM is a Labour London wide Assembly Member
- Figure’s for the amount spent by UK Ambulance Services on private sector ambulances released this week showed:
- 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% |
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