§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision is made for ensuring that patients are not at risk in emergency situations when members of a full emergency medical team are on call rather than on duty on site; and if he will make a statement. [58397]
§ Mr. LammyThe responsibility for ensuring that emergency services, including a full emergency medical team, are staffed according to the demand for emergency care, lies with individual National Health Service trusts.
1436WIndividual trusts have policies and procedures in place to provide an appropriate emergency response for the wide spectrum of emergency care that they may need to provide from individual cases to major incidents.
§ Mr KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what regulations are in place to ensure that hospitals that have the facility for full emergency theatre teams have such teams on duty on site during the night; and if he will make a statement. [58396]
§ Mr. LammyThe responsibility for ensuring that emergency services, including the provision of emergency theatres, are staffed according to the demand for emergency care, lies with individual trusts. Normally, trusts who provide a 24 hour emergency service will have a core theatre team to cover emergency surgery and an additional complement of staff "on-call" to supplement the core team if required. This aspect is not "regulated" as such, but will form part of trusts' clinical governance and risk management programmes. The Commission for Health Improvement audit and inspection includes the organisation and standards of emergency care provided by trusts.