New analysis of NHS data has revealed that ambulance services have failed to meet monthly target response times in Brent and Harrow, since March 2014. The analysis, by Local London Assembly Member Navin Shah AM, comes after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) recommended last week that the London Ambulance Service (LAS) be placed into special measures. Mr Shah said the crisis facing the ambulance service is the culmination of “years of underfunding and understaffing”.
Ambulances are expected to respond to the most serious incidents within 8 minutes on 75% of callouts, in line with national targets. Yet the LAS has failed to meet this target across the capital since April 2014. The service hasn’t met its response times in Brent and Harrowsince March 2014.
Whilst historically, response times are more likely to be missed during the winter months, government cuts to the LAS in 2010 have seen a consistent rise in the number of months the Service has failed to meet the target as it struggles with inadequate levels of funding and staffing. With the LAS forced to find savings of £53m by 2015/16, average monthly response times dipped from 75% in 2010 to just 65% by 2014.
Local Labour London Assembly Member, Navin Shah AM said,“At a time when our capital’s resilience could be tested by anything from a deadly virus outbreak to a major terrorist incident, we need to know our ambulance service is equipped and ready to respond. There’s little doubt that the crisis facing our ambulance service is the culmination of years of underfunding and understaffing, which has had a worrying impact on response times in Brent and Harrow. Whilst we know our paramedics are incredibly hardworking and committed, the fact remains that they need to be adequately supported and resourced.”
