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'No confidence in ambulance service'
The scrutiny committee of West Oxfordshire District Council has passed a vote of no confidence in the ambulance service.
It learned that, for category A emergency call-outs, where an ambulance should at the scene in eight minutes, the success rate in west Oxfordshire in February was 41.2 per cent, compared to a government target of 75 per cent.
In April last year the service managed 72.4 per cent. Committee chairman Peter Handley said: "We're on a downward spiral. It's appalling.
"The rural areas are losing out. The service conceded that there had been a "significant drop" in response times, but said they were taking on more staff.
Oxfordshire's ambulance service was merged into the South Central Service in 2006, which also includes Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, with calls routed through Milton Keynes.
In February, there was an hour's delay in treatment when an ambulance called to treat an unconscious 14-year-old girl in a skate park in Grove, near Wantage, was sent to a skate park at Grove in Bedfordshire.
Ambulance service spokesman Alison Brumfitt said: "In February there was a significant drop, but it is not a steady decline.
"Rural areas like west Oxfordshire, unlike the urban ones we cover, are more difficult to get to by ambulance."
7:44pm Friday 28th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: Local Person on 7:29am Sat 29 Mar 08
Yes,Yes,Yes, Lets have a pop at an emergency service....
The reality is these life saving people are more frustrated than us. They are trying to do their job but GOVERMENT cut backs and staff cuts and not enough working equipment..
1 bad case is highlighted and this SHOULD NOT have happened but what about all the lives they have saved...
After being attacked by 5 men My life was saved by 2 members of a paramedic service,
Thank you
Yes,Yes,Yes, Lets have a pop at an emergency service....
The reality is these life saving people are more frustrated than us. They are trying to do their job but GOVERMENT cut backs and staff cuts and not enough working equipment..
1 bad case is highlighted and this SHOULD NOT have happened but what about all the lives they have saved...
After being attacked by 5 men My life was saved by 2 members of a paramedic service,
Thank you
Posted by: rick, _ on 8:57am Sat 29 Mar 08
"Rural areas like west Oxfordshire, unlike the urban ones we cover, are more difficult to get to by ambulance."
More difficult to get to within the target time as ambulances spend most of their time in urban areas.
"Rural areas like west Oxfordshire, unlike the urban ones we cover, are more difficult to get to by ambulance."
More difficult to get to within the target time as ambulances spend most of their time in urban areas.
Posted by: sue, oxford on 8:32am Sun 30 Mar 08
Don't forget these poor paramedics have to waste alot of their time on drunken idiots who get into fights and this stops them doing their real job at times, so therefore have a go at the time wasters not the ambulance service. I think that these idiots who get drunk and need the paramedics help should pay for it
!!!!!!!
Don't forget these poor paramedics have to waste alot of their time on drunken idiots who get into fights and this stops them doing their real job at times, so therefore have a go at the time wasters not the ambulance service. I think that these idiots who get drunk and need the paramedics help should pay for it
!!!!!!!
Posted by: Bob, West Midlands on 1:58am Mon 31 Mar 08
Perhaps if something was done about the ridiculous number of 999 calls to the ambulance service up and down the country, that are anything but emegencies, then things would improve. When people call an ambulance for a headcold or paper cut to a finger or toothache etc etc day in day out what do you expect.
Perhaps if something was done about the ridiculous number of 999 calls to the ambulance service up and down the country, that are anything but emegencies, then things would improve. When people call an ambulance for a headcold or paper cut to a finger or toothache etc etc day in day out what do you expect.
Posted by: local person, oxfordshire on 9:57am Mon 31 Mar 08
It is true that generally more ambulances are in urban areas. That is obviously because the population density is much higher and because there are more people around. There are more 999 emergencies there. It makes sense.
It is true that generally more ambulances are in urban areas. That is obviously because the population density is much higher and because there are more people around. There are more 999 emergencies there. It makes sense.
Posted by: bob, cowley on 1:49pm Mon 31 Mar 08
The problem is, ambulance services know where to expect calls, and thus can afford to miss calls in the rural areas as they will make up for them in the towns, and its all about performance and future funding
The problem is, ambulance services know where to expect calls, and thus can afford to miss calls in the rural areas as they will make up for them in the towns, and its all about performance and future funding
Posted by: Tasha, Witney on 4:34pm Mon 31 Mar 08
Why do we insist on going on about a service which is still saving thousands of lives a year? There isn't any big issue here, just a lot of hot air over one or to issues which I am sure the Ambulance trust are looking into and acting on. We never get to hear the good news stories about 999 services do we? No news in that I suppose becuase good news stories happen every minute of the day.
Why do we insist on going on about a service which is still saving thousands of lives a year? There isn't any big issue here, just a lot of hot air over one or to issues which I am sure the Ambulance trust are looking into and acting on. We never get to hear the good news stories about 999 services do we? No news in that I suppose becuase good news stories happen every minute of the day.
Posted by: Kevin, Oxford on 10:27pm Tue 1 Apr 08
The service is being ruined by the Government cutbacks, and a management structure which is both out of date and out of touch with frontline staff. If Ambulance service management were in the private sector they would be sacked for their incompetence. More ambulances, more frontline staff and that will cope with the rising demand on the service by a rising population.
The service is being ruined by the Government cutbacks, and a management structure which is both out of date and out of touch with frontline staff. If Ambulance service management were in the private sector they would be sacked for their incompetence. More ambulances, more frontline staff and that will cope with the rising demand on the service by a rising population.
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