§ 15. Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to meet the chief executive of the Scottish ambulance service NHS trust to discuss the adequacy of the service in Renfrewshire. [24239]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonMy right hon. Friend has no present plans to meet the chief executive of the Scottish ambulance service NHS trust to discuss the adequacy of the service in Renfrewshire. The provision of emergency ambulance services is the subject of agreements between the Scottish ambulance service NHS trust and health boards. The performance of the Scottish ambulance service against agreed targets is monitored by the health boards as well as by the Scottish Office Home and Health Department.
§ Dr. GodmanDespite the unhelpful and dimwitted remarks made by the chief executive in a letter to a colleague, I seek neither to rubbish the ambulance service nor to cause more distress to the family of a constituent who was severely injured in a recent traffic accident and had to wait 30 minutes for an ambulance. I have every respect for ambulance crews, and I do not agree that there is a problem with the local management and control of the service. Will the Minister initiate an investigation into the management and control of the service in Renfrewshire?
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonI can reassure the hon. Gentleman that that has been done. The Minister of State has asked the chief executive to review the level of cover in that area and to identify any measures that can be taken to improve the response times, particularly in circumstances of exceptional demand.
The targets for Paisley and Greenock are for an ambulance to arrive within eight minutes for 50 per cent. of emergency calls and within 18 minutes for 95 per cent. of calls. In 1994–95, the Greenock station consistently met those targets, but a review is being undertaken, as the hon. Gentleman has requested.