Ambulance service unable to cope, NAO warns

An audit of the ambulance service in England, carried out by the National Audit Office (NAO), has cautioned that the emergency crews are finding it increasingly difficult to cope amid rising demand, the recruitment crisis and wider NHS pressures.

The NAO review examined ambulance performance in England and outlined that the majority of ambulance services were not meeting the eight minute target. It also highlighted that while the rise in demand had risen by 30 per cent over four years, the correlating rise in budget has only been 16 per cent over the same period.

Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, explained: “Ambulance services are a vital part of the health service but much of their ability to work better greatly depends on other parts of the health system. Until clinical commissioning groups see ambulance services as an integral part of that system it is difficult to see how they will become sustainable and secure consistent value for money across the country.”

The news comes after Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the Department of Health (DH) was considering replacing the eight-minute target for calls for less serious cases. A pilot is currently taking place which involves re-categorising urgent and non-urgent calls, with strokes and fits being seen as not requiring an eight-minute response.

Prof Keith Willett, of NHS England, said: "These trials are designed to makes sure ambulances focus on the right priority - getting to the most urgent patients in the quickest possible time and improving the service to all patients who dial 999."