‘New Welsh ambulance service performance figures set leading example to the rest of the UK’ says Cynon AM

Vikki Howells AM has welcomed the release of figures from the BBC, released following a freedom of information request, that shows Wales is leading the way in the speed of ambulance response times to acutely ill patients, meeting the national target in every month in the first year of the pilot.

In September, 79.5% of Red calls received a response within eight minutes and the standard response time for Red calls was 4 minutes and 38 seconds. This was the best performance since the beginning of the pilot and was the fourth consecutive month in which the target was met in all health board areas in Wales, making the Welsh ambulance service the only service across the UK that is hitting targets for responding to life-threatening calls.

The clinically driven changes are enabling patients to receive the right response based on their need whilst also continuing to deliver high quality care to patients across Wales.

Vikki Howells AM said:-

“The ambulance service in Wales has worked really hard to achieve these results. The new clinical response model is working because it is putting a real focus on outcomes and the quality of care people receive.

“This new model saw response-time targets scrapped for all except the most serious cases.

“The Welsh ambulance service is approaching winter in a much better position than in previous years. The national response time target for Red calls has been met in every month since the introduction of the clinical response model pilot in October 2015.

“It comforts me that we go into winter with a stronger ambulance service than we did last year.”