§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many ambulances are currently operated by the South Yorkshire ambulance service; what is their current age; and how many days the ambulances spend on average out of service; [39580]
(2) how many employees of the South Yorkshire ambulance service were dismissed in (a) 1993–94 and (b) 1994–95; [39541]
(3) how many maintenance depots the South Yorkshire ambulance service current operates; if he will list their locations; and what the figure was 24 months ago. [39581]
§ Mr. SackvilleThe information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contract Dr. B. M. Kingston the chairman of South Yorkshire metropolitan ambulance and paramedic service national health service trust for details.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish figures for the performance of the South Yorkshire ambulance service in each month from July 1994, showing the percentage of calls responded to within 14 minutes for the(a) Doncaster, (b) Barnsley, (c) Rotherham and (d) Sheffield health areas; what is the target specified in the patient's charter; and what extra provision is provided for the large rural areas within the county. [39608]
§ Mr. SackvilleThe patient's charter states that a person calling an emergency ambulance—999 call—can expect it to arrive within 14 minutes in an urban area or 19 minutes in a rural area. Individual ambulance services as a whole are classified as being either urban or rural. The South Yorkshire metropolitan ambulance and paramedic service NHS trust—SYMAS—is classified as an urban service.
In 1994–95 SYMAS responded to 92.1 per cent. of emergency calls within 14 minutes. More detailed information is not collected centrally and the hon. Member may wish to approach Dr. B. M. Kingston the chairman of South Yorkshire metropolitan ambulance and paramedic service national health service trust for details.