§ Sir John WheelerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current sick leave rate for the London ambulance service; what is the national average for sick leave; what is the position of the London service in the rank order of ambulance services with the highest amount of sick leave; and if she will ensure that this aspect of the management of the London ambulance service is considered by the inquiry into the service.
§ Mr. SackvilleInformation on sick leave among ambulance staff is not regularly reported to the Department of Health. The results of a recent survey of urban (1) ambulance services are set out in the table.
Average per cent. of ambulance staff on sick leave Per cent. London 9.88 South Yorkshire 7.00 West Midlands 6.94 Surrey 6.50 West Yorkshire 6.50 Avon 6.00 Cleveland 5.50 Greater Manchester 4.90 Mersey 3.50
§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the dates, the purpose on each occasion, and the name of the Minister for each official visit to the headquarters of the London ambulance service between 10 April and 25 October.
§ Mr. SackvilleI visited the London ambulance service on 13 May and 30 September.
On 13 May, I met Mr. James Harris, chairman of the London ambulance service board, to discuss the performance of the service.
The purpose of my visit on 30 September was to meet control room and ambulance personnel.