Press release: Ambulance Service Network responds to NHS Information Centre report on ambulance performance

19 Jun 2008

Commenting on the report, Liz Kendall, director of the Ambulance Service Network says:

"Today's report reflects the hard work and commitment of ambulance service staff in reaching more patients more quickly than ever before. The figures speak for themselves - showing significant improvement from last year.
 
"Around 1 in 10 patients cared for by the ambulance service is critically ill or suffering from a major trauma. We will continue to improve care for these patients by getting to them as quickly as possible, taking them to the best place for their treatment, and providing high quality care along the way.
 
"We also need to improve services for the majority of our patients who don't have a life-threatening condition - many of whom are older people who have had falls, or patients with long-term conditions - by providing more care in the community and in patients' homes. That is why the Ambulance Service Network has launched a new vision for emergency and urgent care, showing how the NHS can deliver world class services for all patients.
 
"A new single telephone number for all urgent care should be piloted to sit alongside 999 to make it simpler for patients to access care. This should be backed up by urgent care services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including GPs, walk in and urgent care centres, minor injuries units, mental health and social care services, and community nursing teams."

Summary of the Ambulance Service Network Vision for urgent and emergency care:

* A single point of access so that patients are consistently assessed and prioritised whichever number they call, and receive the appropriate response.
* A new single number for urgent care to sit alongside 999 piloted to assess the potential to further simplify access and support more effective coordination of care.
* World-class services nationwide for critically ill patients and those suffering from major trauma.
* A range of urgent care services across primary, secondary and community care available 24/7, including GPs in and out of hours, walk-in and urgent care centres, minor injuries units, social care and mental health services and community nursing teams.
* World class commissioning for emergency and urgent care involving all NHS and social care partners, with patient outcomes and experiences used to measure success.
* Real time information and data about emergency and urgent care services and patients' health records shared across the health and social care system.
* Appropriately trained and skilled ambulance service staff working in multi-disciplinary teams across a variety of settings, taking care to the patient as well as taking the patient to hospital.
* A system of funding that incentivises services to treat patients in the most appropriate place for their clinical need.

ENDS

Related publications

A vision for emergency and urgent care: the role of ambulance services (401 kB PDF)
This report sets out the Ambulance Service Network’s vision for emergency and urgent care, and explains how ambulance services can help transform patients’ experiences and outcomes, and deliver better value for money for taxpayers.|

Notes for editors

1.The NHS Confederation represents more than 95% of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.
2. The Ambulance Service Network represents all ambulance trusts in England, Scotland, Wales , Northern Island and the islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Isle of Wight.  It was established as part of the NHS Confederation in January 2008 to enable the ambulance service to work more closely with other parts of the health service while retaining a strong, independent for the ambulance service.

Contact details

Contact Niall Smith 020 7074 3304 or 07767 770309, Ruth Kennedy 020 7074 3312 or 07884 47 3086, or Ruby Casey-Knight 020 7074 3306 or 07881 957305.  For out of hours media enquiries, please call the Duty Press Officer on 07880 500726.

Back to media centre