London Ambulance Service (Hansard, 9 March 1995)

§ Mr. Spearing
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she has approved the conclusions of the study commissioned by the London ambulance service from Messrs. ORH, health consultants, concerning the resources received by that service in order to reach or maintain the patients charter standards and for ambulance response times.

§ Mr. Sackville
The report commissioned from ORH health consultants is a matter for the London ambulance service and the South Thames regional health authority.

§ Mr. Spearing
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to paragraph 7.2 of the evidence presented by her Department to the Health Committee on 2 March, in respect of the London ambulance service, what operational advantage she expects to arrive from transfers of the funding of that service from the regional health authority to district health authorities in their areas; and if she will give the number of districts so concerned.

§ Mr. Sackville
The delegation of funding for contracts for accident and emergency services with the London ambulance service from regional to district health authority level will ensure that the authorities concerned are fully involved in the process of specifying, negotiating and agreeing contracts with the London ambulance service and monitoring performance against those contracts. The 16 authorities will be represented for contracting purposes by a consortium of four lead purchasers. The consequent reduction in regional administrative costs will help to release funds for investment in direct patient care.

§ Mr. Spearing
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action was taken in her Department(a) by Ministers, (b) by the ambulance adviser to the Department of Health and (c) by the ambulance policy adviser group subsequent to the receipt of the petition of the House presented on 7 December 1990 concerning the continuing problems of the London ambulance service.

§ Mr. Sackville
At the time the South West Thames regional health authority was responsible for running the London ambulance service. The South Thames regional health authority is now responsible for the LAS and it, not my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and her Department, has day-to-day responsibility for the management of the LAS.
323W
We have provided a real terms increase of funding for the LAS each year. In addition, this year we have provided an extra £14.8 million to enable it to purchase an extra 180 ambulances and recruit 240 extra front-line staff. The Wells report identified a number of short, medium and long-term objectives for the LAS which it needs to achieve in order to provide the service our capital city needs.

§ Mr. Spearing
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will obtain and publish the periods and relevant dates when the activation time for emergency ambulances dispatched from the headquarters of the London ambulance service exceeded(a) 10, (b) 15, (c) 20, (d) 30 minutes and (e) each further multiple of 10 minutes.

§ Mr. Sackville
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Mr. Chidgey) on 25 JanuaryOfficial Report, columns 251-52.

§ Mr. Spearing
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the system of computer-aided dispatch placed in service by the London ambulance service on 26 October 1992 was appraised or approved by her ambulance policy advisory group or ambulance adviser.

§ Mr. Sackville
No. It is not for the Department's ambulance policy advisory group or ambulance adviser to intervene in individual ambulance services' operational decision-making processes.

§ Mr. Spearing
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action was taken by her Department during 1991–92 consequent on the gradual deterioration in service of the London ambulance service quoted in her evidence on the Health Committee on 2 March.

§ Mr. Sackville
During 1991–92 the Department monitored the performance of the London ambulance service through reports from, and meetings with, the then South West Thames regional health authority, which was responsible for the direct management of the LAS.

§ Mr. Spearing
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what ministerial statements concerning the London ambulance service have been made since 1990 which have drawn on information or advice received from(a) her ambulance adviser and (b) the ambulance policy advisory group.

§ Mr. Sackville
All ministerial statements concerning ambulance services draw directly or indirectly on advice received from the ambulance adviser or the ambulance policy advisory group.