Paramedic UK » NHS Trusts

Ambulance trusts ‘failing to meet response-time targets’

Editor — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:18:12 +0000

Nearly half of England’s ambulance trusts are taking too long to respond to life-threatening emergencies, a report said today.

Five of the nation’s 12 NHS ambulance trusts failed to meet their target of reaching 75 per cent of the most serious incidents within eight minutes in 2008-09, the NHS Information Centre found.

And only a third hit targets to arrive at the scene of 95 per cent of serious but not immediately life-threatening incidents within 19 minutes.

via Mail Online.

Ambulance service loses chief

Editor — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:27:36 +0000

Another senior member of staff has left the East of England Ambulance Service.

Judi Ingram has joined Take Care Now TCN as head of clinical services. She has been the ambulance services locality chief operating officer for Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire and this year became interim assistant director for A& E strategy and implementation.

Read full article: Yarmouth Mercury

Ambulance trusts failing to meet response-time targets

Editor — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:48:23 +0000

Nearly half of Englands ambulance trusts are taking too long to respond to life-threatening emergencies, a report said today.

Five of the nations 12 NHS ambulance trusts failed to meet their target of reaching 75 per cent of the most serious incidents within eight minutes in 2008-09, the NHS Information Centre found.

And only a third hit targets to arrive at the scene of 95 per cent of serious but not immediately life-threatening incidents within 19 minutes.

Read full article: Mail Online.

More than 3000 NHS staff on long-term sick leave in Scotland

Editor — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:44:26 +0000

More than 3000 NHS staff in Scotland are off work on long-term sick leave.

And the government faced calls for an official inquiry yesterday after unions blamed overwork, bullying and violence.

New figures showed 3393 NHS Scotland staff were on sick leave for at least 28 days at the end of March – putting a huge strain onresources.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland’s biggest health board, had 975 workers on long-term leave.

There were 415 long-term absences in Lothian, 277 in Tayside and 275 in Grampian.

The Scottish Ambulance Service had 87 people absent for over a month. And NHS 24 – on the front-line dealing with swine flu inquiries – had 32 on long-term sick leave.

Read full article: The Daily Record.

SCAS: we need volunteers to hit waiting times

Editor — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:41:52 +0000

Key ambulance waiting times will only be hit if members of the public attend to some patients first, a health chief has said.

A South Central Ambulance Service boss said it could not get to 75 per cent of seriously ill patients within eight minutes without peoples’ help.

It is offering to train residents as “community first responders” who would attend some cases, such as heart attacks.

Read full article: Bucks Free Press.

NEAS launches ‘Foundation Trust’ consultation

Editor — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:13:33 +0000

North East Ambulance Service is launching a three month period of public consultation on whether it should become an NHS foundation trust.

All of the main NHS hospitals in the North-East and North Yorkhsire have become foundation trusts in recent years.

Becoming a foundation trust allows the organisation’s greater control of their finances and encourages local people to get more involved in the running of the trust.

Read full article: The Northern Echo

Chief was ‘misled’ over A&E before quitting West Middlesex Hospital trust

Editor — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:28:35 +0000

A hospital chief executive was “misled” about pressure on its accident and emergency department, which led to her resignation, an internal report has revealed.

Tara Donnelly left West Middlesex University Hospital trust suddenly in February after eight patients waited more than 12 hours to be admitted.

The trust said she stepped down because it had failed to inform NHS London at the time of the breaches on 19 January, which may have allowed patients to be diverted to other hospitals.

Read full article: Health Service Journal.

“Enormous pressure” call on failing ambulance bosses

Editor — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:54:08 +0000

Ambulance chiefs should be put under “enormous pressure” to improve failing waiting times, it has been urged.

South Central Ambulance Service must address “serious concerns” among the public over response times that are not hitting national targets, managers were told.

Latest figures show that 63 per cent of the most serious “category A” calls are met in eight minutes. The target is 75 per cent.

Read full article: Bucks Free Press

New boss at Yorkshire Ambulance Service

Editor — Mon, 25 May 2009 09:00:21 +0000

A new non-executive director has been appointed to the board of Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Paul Osborne has extensive experience in general management and has worked in a number of blue chip organisations in technology and services sectors. His most recent job was head of technology transformation at O2 in Leeds

Read full article: Halifax Today.

Ambulances spread the word FAST

Editor — Mon, 25 May 2009 08:56:18 +0000

Ambulances will be turning into mobile billboards carrying life-saving messages to help the public spot the signs of a stroke.

Six ambulances with the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust have been decorated in eye-catching graphics which carry the Department of Health and Stroke Association’s FAST campaign.

Read full article: Midhurst and Petworth Today.