§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the responses to emergency calls of Northumbria ambulance trust were met within the(a) rural and (b) urban standards; and what percentage of such calls within the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear area were met within the urban standard.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe performance of the Northumbria ambulance service national service trust is measured centrally against the 19-minute national patients charter emergency response time standard for rural ambulance services. In 1992–93 Northumbria ambulance service achieved the standard in 99 per cent. of cases. Information covering the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear is not collected centrally.
The Northumbria ambulance service NHS trust has, however, been contracted locally to meet the more stringent, 14-minute, urban response time. This standard has also been achieved consistently, despite a 15 per cent. increase in emergency calls last year.