§ Mr. Frank R. Whiteasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the total numbers of ambulances in each regional health authority; and what is the average time victims must wait for them in each regional authority.
§ Sir George YoungAt the last census of ambulance vehicles on 30 September 1979 the totals were as follows:
Regional Health Authority and Number of Ambulances Northern 550 Yorkshire 506 Trent 667 E. Anglia 209 N. W. Thames 223 N. E. Thames 221 S. E. Thames 372 S. W. Thames 1,259* Wessex 308 Oxford 254 S. Western 485 W. Midlands 733 Mersey 316 N. Western 688 * Includes London Ambulance Service vehicles. Although the Department has recommended standard measures of service for
228Wfrom meningitis in each of the last 10 years; and if he will differentiate, if possible, between virally and bacterially caused cases.
§ Sir George YoungApart from acute meningococcal meningitis and tuberculosis of meninges and central nervous system the distinction between viral and bacterial forms of meningitis is not available from centrally compiled notifications of infectious diseases. Readily available figures from this source are as follows:
patients to be met by the ambulance service, information is not held centrally about waiting times for ambulance transport in each regional health authority.