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| Ambulance response times in Wales are 'worst on record' | Ambulance response times in Wales are 'worst on record' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Ambulance response times for the most urgent calls in Wales are the worst on record, new figures show. | Ambulance response times for the most urgent calls in Wales are the worst on record, new figures show. |
| The proportion of ambulances hitting the target response time of eight minutes for the most urgent calls fell well below half in December. | The proportion of ambulances hitting the target response time of eight minutes for the most urgent calls fell well below half in December. |
| The target for responding to Category A calls is 65% - but in December it was just 42.6%. | The target for responding to Category A calls is 65% - but in December it was just 42.6%. |
| It was down from 51.0% in November 2014 and from 57.6% from December 2013. | It was down from 51.0% in November 2014 and from 57.6% from December 2013. |
| Tracy Myhill, interim chief executive at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said the figures were "unacceptable". | Tracy Myhill, interim chief executive at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said the figures were "unacceptable". |
| She said: "We completely appreciate that this presents an unacceptable level of service delivery across the whole health and social care system." | She said: "We completely appreciate that this presents an unacceptable level of service delivery across the whole health and social care system." |
| "There are a number of mitigating factors that we need to consider. | "There are a number of mitigating factors that we need to consider. |
| "Firstly, we took more than 40,000 calls in December, which is a record high for us and well above what we projected for that month. | "Firstly, we took more than 40,000 calls in December, which is a record high for us and well above what we projected for that month. |
| "Secondly, when you break down our 'Red' calls into Red 1s (immediately life-threatening, e.g. cardiac arrest) and Red 2s (serious but less immediately time critical, e.g. suspected stroke), we performed much better on the higher acuity Red 1 calls (57.9%) than the Red 2 calls (40.6%). | "Secondly, when you break down our 'Red' calls into Red 1s (immediately life-threatening, e.g. cardiac arrest) and Red 2s (serious but less immediately time critical, e.g. suspected stroke), we performed much better on the higher acuity Red 1 calls (57.9%) than the Red 2 calls (40.6%). |
| "While this is still not where we'd like performance to be, it demonstrates that we are still reaching the majority of our most critically ill patients within eight minutes." | "While this is still not where we'd like performance to be, it demonstrates that we are still reaching the majority of our most critically ill patients within eight minutes." |
| Response times breakdown | Response times breakdown |
| Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething said the ambulance service needed to urgently improve its response to emergency 999 calls. | |
| He told BBC Wales: "I've been clear in my expectations for the ambulance trust and the NHS - they do need to demonstrate improvement and with some urgency. | |
| "I'm pleased to say they recognise the need for that improvement. | |
| "But what we cannot do is to keep on coming back month after month and explaining away disappointing figures after disappointing figures." | |
| Leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies has called for "urgent action" to address the "alarming decline" in ambulance response times. | Leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies has called for "urgent action" to address the "alarming decline" in ambulance response times. |
| Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said the figures were "absolutely appalling and the Welsh Labour government should be ashamed." | Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said the figures were "absolutely appalling and the Welsh Labour government should be ashamed." |
| A Welsh government spokesperson said the figures demonstrated the immense pressure the Welsh Ambulance Service was under throughout December. | A Welsh government spokesperson said the figures demonstrated the immense pressure the Welsh Ambulance Service was under throughout December. |
| "The demand on the service was unprecedented, with the service receiving 40,147 calls during the month, or around 1,295 a day," the spokesperson said. | "The demand on the service was unprecedented, with the service receiving 40,147 calls during the month, or around 1,295 a day," the spokesperson said. |
| "They are nevertheless disappointing and there is no complacency about the need to improve performance." | "They are nevertheless disappointing and there is no complacency about the need to improve performance." |
| The figures come as police forces across Wales said they took patients to hospital more than 100 times last month. | The figures come as police forces across Wales said they took patients to hospital more than 100 times last month. |