MP meets ambulance bosses over 999 delays (From Free Press Series)

MP meets ambulance bosses over 999 delays

3:40pm Monday 9th January 2012 in News

MONMOUTH MP David Davies met ambulance service bosses to discuss concerns over slow 999 response times.

Mr Davies called the meeting following two cases in the county involving the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust.

An inquest into the death of Jacqueline Davies, 49, from Monmouth, heard she died in hospital froma hypoxic brain injury and probable pneumonia on January 20 last year after collapsing at her home nine days earlier. But the coroner also heard bad weather, problems handing patients over at hospitals and a high call volume meant there were no ambulances free to attend Ms Davies, and emergency services took more than 41 minutes to reach her.

A rapid response vehicle was also delayed because its battery was not charged. Mr Davies was also concerned by another case, when premature baby Corey Marx stopped breathing at his Monmouth home in December and an ambulance took 17 minutes to reach him.

A m b u l a n c e service targets say 65 per cent of immediately lifethreatening calls should be responded to within eight minutes.

On Friday, Mr Davies met the ambulance service’s chief executive, Elwyn Price-Morris, chairman Stuart Fletcher, and acting regional director for South East Wales Richard Lee.

Mr Davies said he received assurances that the delay to the rapid response vehicle’s arrival seen in Ms Davies’ case would not happen again as changes had been made to the procedures for charging vehicles.

He said there will be better cross-border arrangements with ambulance trusts in England so that an English ambulance can respond to an emergency in Wales if it is closest.