§ Mr. Norman Hoggasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average waiting time for an ambulance responding to an emergency call in (a) rural 105W areas and (b) urban areas; what arrangements exist for monitoring response times; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe Scottish ambulance service carries out detailed monitoring of response times and submits quarterly returns to my Department. Ambulance areas are classified as either metropolitan or rural and in Scotland only the Glasgow area falls into the metropolitan category. The figures available show the percentage of emergency calls answered within specified time limits. In 1986–87, the response times were as follows:
Area 8 minutes 14 minutes 20 minutes per cent. per cent. per cent. Highland and Western Isles 59.4 77.5 88.2 Grampian, Orkney and Shetland 69.0 87.8 94.5 Tayside 71.1 92.8 97.8 Fife, Lothian and Borders 57.8 87.5 96.5 Glasgow 44.5 81.3 93.6 Forth Valley and Lanarkshire 63.9 90.5 97.8 Argyll and Clyde 65.4 89.1 96.8 Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway 70.4 90.2 97.3 Scotland 58.8 86.9 95.8
§ Mr. Norman Hoggasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in achieving the double manning of ambulances throughout the Scottish ambulance service; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe Government give high priority to reducing the number of emergency calls which are answered by single-manned ambulances. Extra money has been allocated to allow more rapid progress to be made to that end. As a result the Scottish ambulance service will spend about £250,000 in 1987–88 on reducing single manning of accident and emergency ambulances.