Ambulance Response Times (Hansard, 31 March 1994)

§ Mr. Pike
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes she proposes in the recommended ambulance response times in the patients charter.

§ Mr. Sackville
None.

§ Mr. Pike
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the chairman of those ambulance authorities with the lowest attainment of achieving attendance of ambulances within the response times set by the patients charter; and if she will make a statement.

§ Mr. Sackville
There have been no formal meetings to discuss response times, although from time to time I meet ambulance service chairmen to discuss perfomance generally. I am pleased to note that the majority of ambulance services are now meeting the charter standard.

§ Mr. Pike
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of ambulance authorities are achieving(a) the patients charter standard and (b) the Orcon standard in respect of ambulance response times; and if she will make a statement.

§ Mr. Sackville
The Orcon patients charter standard requires an ambulance to arrive at the scene of an incident within 19 minutes of an emergency call in 95 per cent. of cases in rural areas, and within 14 minutes in urban areas. In 1992–93, 28 of the 34 rural authorities met the former standard and three of the nine urban authorities the latter.