Figures released yesterday show that, in April, just 50.7% of emergency responses to Category A (immediately life-threatening) calls arrived at the scene within 8 minutes in Anglesey.
That was the worst response time in North Wales and down from a highpoint of 61.4% in November 2013 but all below the Welsh Government target of 65%. In England and Scotland the target for the same priority call is 75%.
“Fast ambulance responses mean the difference between life and death,” commented Liberal Democrat AM for North Wales, Aled Roberts. “It is not right or fair that people in Anglesey have to accept slower responses than patients in the rest of North Wales and far below the target set in England or Scotland.
“Welsh Paramedics are working tirelessly and are doing the best they can but they are spending too much time waiting outside hospitals. They should be on the road saving lives.
“These April ambulance response times for Anglesey are not the worst. The problem is that they are still well below the Welsh Government’s target of 65% and over the last eighteen months there has not been a consistent pattern of improvement.
“Let’s hope that the Welsh Government’s new commissioning arrangements for ambulance services which started in April will bring some improvements soon.”
