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Rise in spending on taxis for ambulance patients Rise in spending on taxis for ambulance patients
(about 2 hours later)
The amount spent on ferrying patients to hospital in taxis has soared by almost 50% in a year, figures obtained by BBC reveal.The amount spent on ferrying patients to hospital in taxis has soared by almost 50% in a year, figures obtained by BBC reveal.
The Welsh Ambulance Service spent £269,653.13 in the first 11 months of 2014, compared with £181,331.10 in 2013.The Welsh Ambulance Service spent £269,653.13 in the first 11 months of 2014, compared with £181,331.10 in 2013.
It said the rise was because of a new scheme which saw patients transported in taxis when it was safe to do so.It said the rise was because of a new scheme which saw patients transported in taxis when it was safe to do so.
But the Welsh Conservatives said the money could be better spent.But the Welsh Conservatives said the money could be better spent.
In December 2014 the number of ambulances hitting the target response time for the most urgent calls fell to its lowest level for three years.In December 2014 the number of ambulances hitting the target response time for the most urgent calls fell to its lowest level for three years.
Only 51% of urgent emergency responses in November arrived within eight minutes - 14 percentage points lower than the target of 65%.Only 51% of urgent emergency responses in November arrived within eight minutes - 14 percentage points lower than the target of 65%.
"Hiring taxis to take some patients to hospital in recent months has been necessary to ensure our busy crews are more readily available to attend more pressing calls," said Gordon Roberts, acting director of operations at the ambulance service."Hiring taxis to take some patients to hospital in recent months has been necessary to ensure our busy crews are more readily available to attend more pressing calls," said Gordon Roberts, acting director of operations at the ambulance service.
Taxi expenditure:
Mr Roberts said: "In August we launched a scheme which gives paramedics the option to arrange for a patient to go to hospital in a taxi rather than an ambulance, but only if it's clinically safe to do so."Mr Roberts said: "In August we launched a scheme which gives paramedics the option to arrange for a patient to go to hospital in a taxi rather than an ambulance, but only if it's clinically safe to do so."
He said the new system was intended to free up a crew for emergency calls.He said the new system was intended to free up a crew for emergency calls.
"Utilising taxi transport where clinically appropriate frees up ambulance resources to respond to the next urgent call and therefore represents more effective use of the finite pool of specialist skills and equipment available to us," he added."Utilising taxi transport where clinically appropriate frees up ambulance resources to respond to the next urgent call and therefore represents more effective use of the finite pool of specialist skills and equipment available to us," he added.
Taxi expenditure:
More than 100 patients have been taken to hospital since the taxi scheme was launched in August 2014.More than 100 patients have been taken to hospital since the taxi scheme was launched in August 2014.
But leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, said: "What we've seen is a continued deterioration in ambulance response times, so if we'd seen an improvement on ambulance times and a better use of the money in buying taxis to do the role that ambulances historically fulfilled then you could say it's ticking the box of progress.But leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, said: "What we've seen is a continued deterioration in ambulance response times, so if we'd seen an improvement on ambulance times and a better use of the money in buying taxis to do the role that ambulances historically fulfilled then you could say it's ticking the box of progress.
"We seem to be throwing good money after bad in spending more on taxis and getting poor ambulance response times - nobody seems to be winning on this.""We seem to be throwing good money after bad in spending more on taxis and getting poor ambulance response times - nobody seems to be winning on this."