§ Mr. GalbraithTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for each of the past 10 years(a) the total man hours of the Scottish ambulance service and (b) the number of man hours spent on emergencies.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe total man hours worked are as follows:—
Year ending 31 March Man Hours 1979 3,240,640 1980 3,382,080 1981 3,425,760 1982 3,463,200 1983 3,531,840 1984 3,527,680 1985 3,577,600 1986 3,627,520 1987 3,642,080 1988 3,721,120 The information about emergencies is not available in the form requested. The latest available information shows that the accident and emergency element of the Scottish ambulance service carried 15 per cent. of the patients (7 per cent. 999 cases and 8 per cent. urgent hospital admissions and urgent inter-hospital transfers) and accounted for about 70 per cent. of the approved manpower establishment of the Scottish ambulance service.
§ Mr. DarlingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many ambulances in Scotland are crewed by(a) one person and (b) two persons in respect of each Scottish ambulance service area.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythAll Scottish ambulance service ambulances are capable of being crewed by one or two members of staff depending on operational circumstances and the mobility and physical condition of the expected patients. It is therefore not possible to provide the information in the form requested.
§ Mr. DarlingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to give approval for the relocation and improvement of the Scottish ambulance service control room in Edinburgh.
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§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe relocation and improvement of the control room in Edinburgh is being considered by the Scottish ambulance service as part of a wider rationalisation of all the service's control centres in Scotland. I expect proposals to be submitted to the Scottish Home and Health Department shortly.
§ Mr. DarlingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any proposals to computerise the control facilities of the Scottish ambulance service in each area.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe computerisation of control facilities is an operational matter for the Scottish ambulance service. I understand that proposals for computerisation are shortly to be submitted to the Scottish Home and Health Department.
§ Mr. DarlingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each Scottish ambulance service area the percentage of emergency calls answered within(a) eight minutes and (b) 20 minutes and; in respect of Glasgow only (i) seven minutes and (ii) 14 minutes.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythIn 1987–88, the response times for accident and 999 calls were as follows:
Area 8 minutes per cent. 14 minutes per cent. 20 minutes per cent. Highland and Western Isles 62.3 — 89.3 Grampian, Orkney and Shetland 68.2 — 94.6 Tayside 69.6 — 96.7 Fife, Lothian and Borders 60.5 — 97.0 Glasgow 47.4 83.5 94.9 Forth Valley and Lanarkshire 66.8 — 98.3 Argyll and Clyde 62.6 — 95.8 Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway 69.8 — 96.9 Emergency calls answered within seven minutes are not recorded separately.
§ Mr. DarlingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each Scottish ambulance service area the percentage of patients who are uplifted from home at the request of a general practitioner within the time requested by the general practitioner or within five minutes of that time.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe information requested is not available but a sample survey in September 1988 showed that 71 per cent. of patients, whose transfer to hospital was classed as urgent by the requesting general practitioner, arrived at the receiving hospital no later than five minutes after the time stipulated by the general practitioner.
§ Mr. DarlingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each Scottish ambulance service area(a) the ambulance crew establishment (b) the actual number in post and (c) the number on duty and available for work as on 1 October.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe information requested, relating to 1 October 1988, is as follows:
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Approved Establishment Number of staff in post Number of staff on duty and available1 (1) (2) (3) (1) (2) (3) (1) (2) (3) Argyll and Clyde 11 122 49 10 122 48 5 61 — Ayrshire and Arran and Dumfries and Galloway 12 177 54 12 177 53 4 91 — Fife, Lothians and Borders 12 303 133 12 302 119 7 152 1 Forth Valley and Lanarkshire 8 190 83 8 190 79 5 101 1 Grampian, Orkney and Shetland 14 105 28 14 102 25 6 41 — Greater Glasgow 7 120 164 7 120 164 4 64 10 Highland and Western Isles 16 85 3 16 85 2 9 42 — Tayside 8 98 38 8 98 33 3 41 — Total 88 1,200 552 87 1,196 523 43 593 12 Notes:
(1) Leading Ambulance Man
(2) Qualified Ambulance Man
(3) Ambulance Man
1 Numbers on duty are net of those off duty, on leave, sick or training.
It should be noted that 1 October was a Saturday and therefore very few non-emergency ambulance staff were on duty.
Number in post Leading Ambulanceman Qualified Ambulanceman Ambulanceman Total Argyll and Clyde 10 122 47 179 Ayrshire and Arran and Dumfries and Galloway 12 177 54 243 Fife, Lothians and Borders 12 302 127 441 Forth Valley and Lanarkshire 8 190 76 274 Grampian, Orkney and Shetland 14 103 25 142 Greater Glasgow 7 120 163 290 Highland and Western Isles 16 85 2 103 Tayside 8 93 37 138 TOTAL 87 1,192 531 1,810 The Scottish Home and Health Department does not set staffing levels. This is an operational matter for the Scottish ambulance service to decide in the light of anticipated demand.
§ Mr. DarlingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the additional sums required to fund the Scottish ambulance service as identified by his Department's most recent survey.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythAs part of the current public expenditure survey, an estimate is being made of the funding requirements for the Scottish ambulance service. The results will be published in the public expenditure White Paper in due course.