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Ministers demand 'urgent' ambulance service improvement Ambulance service given three months to improve
(35 minutes later)
Ministers have demanded that the Welsh Ambulance Service demonstrate an "urgent improvement" in its performance, after it again failed to meet response time targets. Health Minister Mark Drakeford has told AMs he has given the Welsh Ambulance Service three months to achieve "urgent improvements", after it again failed to meet response time targets.
In May, 54.1% of ambulances reached life-threatening incidents in eight minutes, down from 56.7% in April.In May, 54.1% of ambulances reached life-threatening incidents in eight minutes, down from 56.7% in April.
The target is 65% and ministers said the figures were "very disappointing".The target is 65% and ministers said the figures were "very disappointing".
The ambulance service said there had been more of the most serious calls and long handover delays at some hospitals.The ambulance service said there had been more of the most serious calls and long handover delays at some hospitals.
The Welsh government said health boards could "do more to help".
'Frustrated''Frustrated'
A spokesman said: "The Welsh Ambulance Service itself needs to demonstrate urgent improvement in its performance." A Welsh government spokesman said: "The Welsh Ambulance Service itself needs to demonstrate urgent improvement in its performance."
He added: "The key elements of the McClelland review have now been put in place.
"Welsh government investment has up-graded the ambulance fleet."Welsh government investment has up-graded the ambulance fleet.
"In this financial year, an extra £7.5m has been agreed, which will allow the recruitment of more than 100 frontline staff. It is now for the Welsh Ambulance Service to turn all this into the required standard of performance." "In this financial year, an extra £7.5m has been agreed, which will allow the recruitment of more than 100 frontline staff."
Later, a clearly frustrated Health Minister, Mark Drakeford, told AMs he had told the service's chair, chief executive and trade unions that he expected an "urgent improvement over the next three months". Later, in the assembly chamber, Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar accused Health Minister Mark Drakeford of presiding over the "worst ambulance performance in recent history".
A clearly frustrated Mr Drakeford said he had told the service's chair, chief executive and trade unions that he expected an "urgent improvement over the next three months".
He said: "I do not want to be in the position of coming in front of this assembly in September to find that the performance that we have seen in May, and I'm afraid has continued into June as well, I do not want to be here having to explain to you why the ambulance service has not been able to make the necessary improvement."He said: "I do not want to be in the position of coming in front of this assembly in September to find that the performance that we have seen in May, and I'm afraid has continued into June as well, I do not want to be here having to explain to you why the ambulance service has not been able to make the necessary improvement."
Agreeing that "we are not seeing the improvement that we are entitled to see", Mr Drakeford outlined how he expected ambulance figures to improve between now and September. Mr Drakeford outlined how he expected ambulance figures to improve between now and September.
He said: "What I expect to see over that period is a recovery from where we have been in May and this month.He said: "What I expect to see over that period is a recovery from where we have been in May and this month.
"I want to see performance improving month-on-month. "I want to see performance improving month-on-month."
"I want July to be better than June, August to be better than July and September to be better than the other two." Responding earlier to the response time figures, the Welsh Ambulance Service Director of Service Delivery Mike Collins said: "An increase in the most serious type of emergency calls combined with lengthy handover delays at some hospitals across Wales has had an impact on our response times to incidents, and we would like to recognise the hard work, commitment and dedication of all our staff during this difficult time.
Responding earlier to the response time figures, the Welsh ambulance service said it took 36,544 calls in May, up by more than 1,350 calls from the previous month and more than 1,700 calls from the same period last year.
Director of Service Delivery Mike Collins said: "An increase in the most serious type of emergency calls combined with lengthy handover delays at some hospitals across Wales has had an impact on our response times to incidents, and we would like to recognise the hard work, commitment and dedication of all our staff during this difficult time.
"We recognise that on occasion we are short of the eight-minute target for the most serious calls, but are working, and will continue to work, as hard as we can to get to patients as quickly as possible.""We recognise that on occasion we are short of the eight-minute target for the most serious calls, but are working, and will continue to work, as hard as we can to get to patients as quickly as possible."
Mr Collins added that the ambulance service was "committed to improving ambulance services in Wales as outlined in our clinical transformation and modernisation programme, Working Together for Success".Mr Collins added that the ambulance service was "committed to improving ambulance services in Wales as outlined in our clinical transformation and modernisation programme, Working Together for Success".
'Decisive action''Decisive action'
The Conservatives blamed low investment for the figures, the Liberal Democrats called them a "disgrace" while Plaid Cymru said the changes that were needed had not been made. Mr Millar said: "Despite the dedication of paramedics, patients in Wales have had to put up with almost two years of a substandard emergency service because of a lack of investment from Labour ministers and a failure to address logjams at A&E departments."
Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar said: "Despite the dedication of paramedics, patients in Wales have had to put up with almost two years of a substandard emergency service because of a lack of investment from Labour ministers and a failure to address logjams at A&E departments." Plaid Cymru health spokeswoman Elin Jones said: "It is clear that the government has failed to deliver the improvements that are needed."
He insisted ministers should "get a grip on this crisis in the Welsh NHS, which is putting lives at risk". Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams added: "We need clear, decisive action from the Welsh Labour government - and we need it now, before even more lives are put at risk under Welsh Labour's watch."
Plaid Cymru health spokeswoman Elin Jones said: "More than a year since the Welsh government carried out a review of the service we continue to wait for progress.
"It is clear that the government has failed to deliver the improvements that are needed."
Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams said: "Year after a year, month after month, this situation is getting worse but the Welsh Labour government is still failing to do anything about it.
"We need clear, decisive action from the Welsh Labour government - and we need it now, before even more lives are put at risk under Welsh Labour's watch."