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Dept of Health

Answer

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action is being taken by his Department to respond to the concerns of the Commission for Health Improvement in relation to (a) ambulance response times being manipulated, (b) wide variations in the categorisation of calls, (c) poor management practice in ambulance trusts and (d) the need for appropriate outcome measures for the ambulance service. [138059] Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department of Health and the ambulance service recognise that response times can sometimes be recorded inconsistently. We are determined to resolve this and have already begun to hold constructive discussions with the service and other key stakeholders about how to tighten up and standardise procedures. We will not tolerate any deliberate mis-reporting of data and have made it very clear that serious consequences will follow any individual or trusts that seek to manipulate their performance data. Response time will always be an important measure of the service to patients and there is no immediate prospect of moving away from the eight minute standard. The standard has clinical origins--it is based on the optimum time limit for intervention in heart attack cases. But there are other signifiers of progress and other measures of success, and we intend to explore the possibilities of supplementing response times with other standards, including those directly related to clinical outcomes. We are working closely with the Modernisation Agency and key stakeholders concerning management practices raised within this report.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

138059; 413 c571W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Ambulance services Emergency calls Management Standards Commission for Health Improvement

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk