HC Deb 06 November 1986 vol 103 cc597-600W
Mr. Spearing

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will tabulate the numbers of vehicles owned by the London ambulance service designed primarily for use in (a) emergency, (b) non-emergency non-ambulant and (c) non-emergency ambulant purposes for each of the years 1984, 1985 and 1986, together with the actual or expected mileages covered by vehicles in each category.

Mrs. Currie

The comparison of fleet sizes between the years 1984, 1985, 1986 is difficult because they will vary according to the rate at which vehicles are purchased and disposed of through each year. The current fleet size is as follows:

  • 355—ambulances used on front-line work or for non-emergency "stretcher" journeys.
  • 229—Tail-lift vehicles; these vehicles are needed for "chair-cases", but can also accommodate walking cases.

Emergency Service: Patient and mileage statistics 1984–86
(Thousand patients)
(Thousand miles)
North west division North east division South west division South east division Total
Patients Mileage Patients Mileage Patients Mileage Patients Mileage Patients Mileage
1984
First quarter 34 263 32 243 26 166 21 187 113 859
Second quarter 35 266 32 236 27 168 21 184 115 854
Third quarter 34 268 32 242 26 170 21 184 113 864
Fourth quarter 36 284 34 261 27 177 23 199 120 921
Total 139 1,081 130 982 106 681 86 754 461 3,498

  • 393—Sitting case vehicles.
  • 977—Total.

Since 1984, the position is reasonably unchanged, with a slight increase in tail-lift vehicles and a slight reduction in sitting-case vehicles.

Mr. Spearing

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what studies he has made, and what evidence he has received, concerning alleged non-appropriate use of the non-emergency ambulance services in London; and by what percentage those calls have changed between 1984 and 1986.

Mrs. Currie

No formal studies have been made, as far as I am aware. The London ambulance service has drawn district health authorities' attention to the criteria set out in HC 78(45) which states:

Ambulance services are required to provide, or arrange, the provision of suitable transport, free of charge, normally to the nearest hospital or treatment centre with hospital based facilities where the necessary treatment can be obtained, to NHS convalscent homes, dentists' surgeries or artificial limb appliances and assessment centres, for any patient (emergency or non-emergency) who is considered by a doctor, dentist or midwife to be medically unfit to travel by other means. Ambulance transport should not be provided for patients whose medical condition does not prevent them from travelling by other means, that is, on foot, by public or private transport (either their own transport or transport provided by relatives, friends or voluntary services). Nor should it be used to convey a person on holiday or on recreational journeys, where the need is based on social or economic grounds, rather than medical.

We have no information on alleged non-appropriate use of non-emergency ambulance transport.

Mr. Spearing

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will tabulate for each division of the London ambulance service the number of: (a) emergency, (b) non-emergency non-walking, and (c) non-emergency walking patients, carried in each quarter of the years 1984, 1985, and 1986 to date together with the known number of cancelled calls on patients in the non-emergency category and the approximate vehicle mileage for each of the two main categories, together with all respective annual totals for each division, and for the service as a whole.

Mrs. Currie

The information is as follows. No record was kept prior to 1 April 1986 of cancelled journeys.

North west division North east division South west division South east division Total
Patients Mileage Patients Mileage Patients Mileage Patients Mileage Patients Mileage
1985
First quarter 37 290 35 271 27 184 23 208 122 953
Second quarter 35 268 32 251 26 171 22 197 115 887
Third quarter 36 281 32 254 26 176 22 197 116 908
Fourth quarter 38 294 34 266 27 179 23 207 122 946
Total 146 1,133 133 1,042 106 710 90 809 475 3,694
1986
First quarter 37 292 34 266 29 189 22 203 122 950
Second quarter 34 279 31 244 30 197 20 181 115 901
Third quarter 35 279 30 240 30 196 19 181 115 896

Patient Journeys 1984–86
Non Emergency service (Thousand patient journeys)
North West Division North East Division South West Division South East Division Direct Service Total Indirect service Total Las
W Non W Total W Non W Total W Non W Total W Non W Total W Non W Total — —
1984
First quarter 85 44 129 90 65 155 76 44 120 76 61 137 327 214 541 54 595
Second quarter 82 41 123 84 60 144 73 45 118 68 58 126 307 204 511 52 563
Third quarter 80 41 121 83 58 141 72 46 118 68 57 125 303 202 505 52 557
Fourth quarter 76 42 118 82 57 139 72 45 117 69 56 125 299 200 499 54 553
Total 323 168 491 339 240 579 293 180 473 281 232 513 1,236 820 2,056 212 2,263
1985
First quarter 73 43 116 82 57 139 70 46 116 70 54 124 295 200 495 58 553
Second quarter 73 39 112 83 56 139 70 45 115 70 56 126 296 196 492 62 554
Third quarter 73 40 113 79 57 136 67 46 113 70 55 125 289 198 487 69 556
Fourth quarter 71 42 113 79 55 134 66 46 112 69 53 122 285 196 481 63 544
Total 290 164 454 323 225 548 273 183 456 279 218 497 1,165 790 1,955 252 2,207
1986
First quarter 57 39 96 72 51 123 55 46 101 60 50 110 244 186 430 69 499
Second quarter 39 36 75 65 49 114 40 42 82 33 53 86 177 180 357 92 449
Third quarter 39 38 77 62 50 112 40 41 81 32 58 90 173 187 360 94 454

Notes:

Indirect Services—these figures cannot be split between walker/non walker cases.

Covers hire cars, vehicles on loan and hospital car services.

W=Walking Non W = Non Walking

Patient mileage statistics 1984 to 1986
Non-emergency service
Thousand miles
North West North East South West South East Total direct Indirect service Total all services
1984
First quarter 550 551 457 554 2,112 345 2,457
Second quarter 537 518 451 511 2,017 355 2,372
Third quarter 521 506 454 502 1,983 338 2,321
Fourth quarter 515 510 448 512 1,985 374 2,359
Total 2,123 2,085 1,810 2,079 8,097 1,412 9,509
1985
First quarter 495 507 443 522 1,967 379 2,346
Second quarter 490 499 436 515 1,940 433 2,373
Third quarter 489 481 414 496 1,880 493 2,373
Fourth quarter 498 472 407 497 1,874 470 2,344
Total 1,972 1,959 1,700 2,030 7,661 1,775 9,436
1986
First quarter 426 444 372 453 1,695 501 2,196
Second quarter 353 403 323 366 1,445 596 2,041
Third quarter 380 401 319 384 1,484 — —