HC Deb 20 October 1994 vol 248 cc305-7W
Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will instruct the South Thames regional health authority to publish weekly the number of occasions for the preceding week when response times of emergency ambulances of the London ambulance service exceeded 34 and 45 minutes respectively,

Number of calls responded to within 10 minutes Number of calls responded to within 11-20 minutes. Number of calls responded to within 21-30 minutes
April 1994 11,822 29 per cent. 24,811 60 per cent. 3,557 9 per cent.
May 1994 12,917 29 per cent. 26,806 60 per cent. 3,611 8 per cent.
June 1994 11,837 26 per cent. 26,807 60 per cent. 4,523 10 per cent.
July 1994 12,468 27 per cent. 28,024 60 per cent. 4,843 10 per cent.
August 1994 12,883 29 per cent. 26,588 60 per cent. 3,503 8 per cent.
September 1994 12,850 30 per cent. 26,297 60 per cent. 3,300 8 per cent.

Source:

London Ambulance Service internal statistics

Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the size of the population covered by(a) the London ambulance service and (b) each of the ambulance services covering larger populations.

Mr. Sackville

The estimated size of populations served by the London ambulance service and larger urban and rural services is shown in the table:

Service Population
London Ambulance Service 6,936,400
Urban
Manchester 2,601,116
Mersey 2,408,900
Surrey 1,179,400
South Yorkshire 1,297,884
West Midlands 2,619,231
West Yorkshire 2,128,421
Rural
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 1,515,001
Essex 1,472,397

together with a numerical summary of the category of relevant causes.

Mr. Sackville

No.

Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of calls to the London ambulance service are answered within(a) 10 minutes, (b) between 10 and 20 minutes and (c) 20 to 30 minutes.

Mr. Sackville

The London ambulance service has supplied the information in the table.

Service Population
Hampshire 1,409,803
Kent 1,532,457
Lancashire 1,398,909
Northumbria 1,432,931
Nottinghamshire 1,017,267
Staffordshire 1,046,853
Two Shires 1,187,906
West Country 1,921,567

Notes:

  1. 1. Population summaries are mid-1992 as used for 1993–94 summary KA34 information.
  2. 2. "Larger ambulance services" taken as those serving populations of more than one million.

Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many maintenance depots the London ambulance service operates.

Mr. Sackville

Seventeen.

Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulance men and women work for the London ambulance service; and what is the average rate of absenteeism.

Mr. Sackville

The latest centrally held information is that at 30 September 1992 there were 2,010—to the nearest 10 whole-time equivalents—ambulance men and women in the London ambulance service.

According to figures supplied by the London ambulance service in August 1994, absenteeism in accident and emergency services was 8 per cent. and in patient transport 8.5 per cent.

Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paramedics are employed by the London ambulance service; and what was the comparable figure five years ago.

Mr. Sackville

According to information supplied by the London ambulance service, there are 455 paramedics in the service now, compared with only seven in 1989.

Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulances are operated by the London ambulance service; what is their average age; and how many days the ambulances spend on average out of service.

Mr. Sackville

According to figures supplied by the London ambulance service there are: 306 accident and emergency ambulances, average age of six years; and 376 patient transport service vehicles, with an average age of six years. In the current year 180 new vehicles will be delivered and put into service.

Information on average time out of service is not currently available.