Wednesday
01
May
Worrying local ambulance response times revealed
02/12/2022 @ 12:13
Heart attack and stroke victims in Newtown could wait more than an hour for an ambulance, shocking figures have revealed.
According to the figures sent to MyNewtown by Jane Dodds, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and MS for Mid and West Wales, in Powys potential heart attack and stroke victims are left waiting an average of one hour and 14 minutes for paramedics to arrive.
The figures, uncovered through Freedom of Information requests, reveal how patients whose lives are in immediate danger are waiting twice as long in some rural areas than in urban ones.
In Powys, patients waited for an average of 11 minutes and 37 seconds for red calls compared to six minutes 31 seconds in Newport.
Overall, 13 out of the 22 local authorities in Wales had an average wait of over 2 hours for amber calls.
Many ambulances covering Newtown and north Powys can end up in queues at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Shrewsbury.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling for action on the social care crisis in order to free up hospital beds and stop ambulances waiting outside hospitals. The party has said both Labour and the Conservatives are failing to get to grips with the crisis.
Healthcare is devolved in Wales meaning it is under the control of the Welsh Government, however many Powys residents attend A&E in Shropshire and Herefordshire over the border.
Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and Mid & West Wales Senedd Member Jane Dodds said: “These figures are heart-breaking, but not necessarily shocking to anyone who has had to call on an ambulance in recent months.
“Far too many people are being left to wait too long in an emergency across every region of Wales. The length of amber calls, which includes stroke and heart attack victims is particularly concerning.
“None of this is the fault of our hardworking ambulance staff who are doing their utmost in extremely difficult conditions.
“This cannot continue, the Welsh Labour and UK Conservative governments must bring forward extra support to get ambulance services through winter as well as a long-term strategy to ensure people can get emergency care when they need it.
"That means addressing workforce shortages, fixing the social care crisis and ending the shortage of hospital beds, all of which are leaving patients in ambulances stuck outside A&E for hours."
According to the figures sent to MyNewtown by Jane Dodds, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and MS for Mid and West Wales, in Powys potential heart attack and stroke victims are left waiting an average of one hour and 14 minutes for paramedics to arrive.The figures, uncovered through Freedom of Information requests, reveal how patients whose lives are in immediate danger are waiting twice as long in some rural areas than in urban ones.
In Powys, patients waited for an average of 11 minutes and 37 seconds for red calls compared to six minutes 31 seconds in Newport.
Overall, 13 out of the 22 local authorities in Wales had an average wait of over 2 hours for amber calls.
Many ambulances covering Newtown and north Powys can end up in queues at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Shrewsbury.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling for action on the social care crisis in order to free up hospital beds and stop ambulances waiting outside hospitals. The party has said both Labour and the Conservatives are failing to get to grips with the crisis.
Healthcare is devolved in Wales meaning it is under the control of the Welsh Government, however many Powys residents attend A&E in Shropshire and Herefordshire over the border.
Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and Mid & West Wales Senedd Member Jane Dodds said: “These figures are heart-breaking, but not necessarily shocking to anyone who has had to call on an ambulance in recent months.
“Far too many people are being left to wait too long in an emergency across every region of Wales. The length of amber calls, which includes stroke and heart attack victims is particularly concerning.
“None of this is the fault of our hardworking ambulance staff who are doing their utmost in extremely difficult conditions.
“This cannot continue, the Welsh Labour and UK Conservative governments must bring forward extra support to get ambulance services through winter as well as a long-term strategy to ensure people can get emergency care when they need it.
"That means addressing workforce shortages, fixing the social care crisis and ending the shortage of hospital beds, all of which are leaving patients in ambulances stuck outside A&E for hours."
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