Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Ambulance Response Times

Tuesday 7 March 2023 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The urgent and emergency care recovery plan was published to improve patient flow within hospitals and ambulance performance.
  • The Secretary of State committed to arranging a meeting with Helen Morgan to address issues related to ambulance wait times.
  • The response highlighted that people in Wales are almost twice as likely to be waiting for treatment compared to England.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Sarah Atherton
NHS
Context

The question arises from concerns about ambulance performance and patient flow within hospitals.

Question

What steps he is taking to improve ambulance response times?

Answer from Steve Barclay (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)

We published the urgent and emergency care recovery plan, which set out a number of measures to improve patient flow within hospitals, which has an impact on ambulance performance. In addition, we are purchasing 800 new ambulances, which will be on the road this year.

Answered
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Q2 Antony Higginbotham
NHS
Context

The question stems from the closure of an accident and emergency department in 2007, which has been a persistent concern for constituents.

Question

When I speak to my constituents about ambulance wait times, they always return to bringing back the A&E at Burnley. Will he set out whether it will ever be possible to bring back the A&E that Labour closed? Will he meet me to discuss it?

Answer from Steve Barclay (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)

My hon. Friend is right to highlight the consequences of closures such as that, PFI or other issues that are still felt in communities such as Burnley. He will also know that it is for the integrated care board to look at commissioning decisions and I know that he will make his case powerfully to that board.

Partly answered

Not addressed: commitment on reopening A&E, specific timeline or action

How: It Is For The Integrated Care Board

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Q3 Sarah Atherton
NHS Wales
Context

The question concerns the performance of the Welsh ambulance service, specifically in Wrexham Maelor Hospital where targets are consistently missed.

Question

Does the Secretary of State agree that the Welsh Government need to stop playing the blame game and start working in partnership for the betterment of patients?

Answer from Steve Barclay (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)

My hon. Friend raises an extremely powerful point. It is not only those targets in Wales that are being missed. She will know that people are almost twice as likely to be waiting for treatment in the Labour-run Welsh NHS than they are in England: 21.3% in Wales compared with 12.8% in England. She will also know that the number of two-year waits for operations in Wales, at over 50,000, is considerably higher than that in England, which is below 2,000.

Answered
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Q4 Helen Morgan Lib Dem North Shropshire
NHS
Context

The question is about arranging a previously agreed meeting with the Secretary of State and colleagues from other parts of Shropshire to address specific concerns at their hospitals.

Question

That meeting is not in the diary. Will he commit to arranging that as soon as possible, so that we can get these issues addressed?

Answer from Steve Barclay (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)

I apologise to the hon. Lady because she raises a perfectly fair point. I will do all I can to expedite that meeting.

Partly answered

Not addressed: commitment on specific timeline or action

How: Will Do All I Can

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