§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to improve the London ambulance service.
§ Mr. SackvilleMr right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in December 1993 an additional £14.8 million investment in the London ambulance service for 1994–95, which the LAS is using to purchase new accident and emergency vehicles, to increase ambulance staff, provide additional paramedic training and make other improvements to services. This additional funding was linked to firm targets for improved response times–80 per cent. of emergency calls to be responded to within 14 minutes by September 1994 and 85 per cent. by April 1995 as interim stages to meeting the national standard of responding to 95 per cent. of calls within 14 minutes.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has asked Mr William Wells, the chairman of South Thames regional health authority, to produce a report into the LAS. The report will look into what changes need to be made in terms of:
831Wworking practices, including staff deployment and rostering systemsthe use of resourcesmanagement/staff relationmanagement and staff trainingThe report will be made to Ministers before Christmas and will be made public.