§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to allow GPs to override telephone protocols when making emergency requests for ambulances. [12776]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 6 November 2001]: Protocols for making emergency requests for ambulances are agreed locally between general practitioners and each ambulance trust. There are no plans to override these arrangements.
All national health service ambulance trusts use call prioritisation systems. This means that calls to immediately life threatening conditions will get a quicker response. Ambulance services are required to take patients to hospitals that are identified by a doctor as urgent so that these patients arrive at hospital within 15 minutes of the arrival time specified by the doctor in 95 per cent. of cases.
§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what(a) guidance and (b) instructions on performance levels have been given to the Isle of Wight ambulance service this year; and when, distinguishing that which is general to the ambulance services from that which is specific to the island's service. [12927]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 6 November 2001]: Ambulance services in England measure their performance against a number of criteria. We place a high priority on performance in responding to category A calls, those calls which may be immediately life-threatening. There is no different standard on performance levels set for the Isle of Wight. All ambulance services, including that on the Isle of Wight, were originally set a target of reaching 75 per cent. of category A calls in eight minutes by 31 March 2001.
§ Mrs. BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the target response time for non-urgent ambulance responses is; and what the average response time has been in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [12462]
362W
List of rapid access chest pain clinics Number/hospital NHS trust Northern and Yorkshire region 1. Bradford Royal Infirmary Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust 2. Sunderland Royal Hospital City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust 3. Dewsbury and District Hospital Dewsbury Health Care NHS Trust 4. Queen Elizabeth Hospital Gateshead Health NHS Trust 5. Hull Royal Infirmary Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 6. St. James' University Hospital Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 7. Hartlepool General Hospital North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust 8. North Tyneside General Hospital Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust 9. Wansbeck General Hospital Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust 10. Pinderfields Hospital Pinderfields and Pontefract NHS Trust 11. Pontefract General Infirmary Pinderfields and Pontefract NHS Trust 12. Scarborough Hospital Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust 13. Bishop Auckland General Hospital South Durham Health Care NHS Trust 14. Darlington Memorial Hospital South Durham Health Care NHS Trust Trent region 15. Barnsley District General Hospital Barnsley District General Hospital NHS Trust 16. Bassetlaw District General Hospital Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Trust 17. Doncaster Royal Infirmary Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Trust 18. Scunthorpe General Hospital (and Goole Hospital) Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust 19. Nottingham City Hospital Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 20. Nottingham University Hospital Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham University NHS Trust 21. Rotherham General Hospital Rotherham General Hospitals NHS Trust
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 7 November 2001]: There are no nationally laid down standards for ambulance responses to patients with non-emergency illnesses and injuries.
Information on response times for all National Health Service ambulance trusts is contained in the Department of Health Statistical Bulletin "Ambulance Services, England 2000–01". A copy is in the Library and available at www.doh.uk/public/sb0115.htm.