A19 Target For Ambulance Trusts

EDM number 864 in 2012-13, proposed by Simon Wright on 18/12/2012.
Categorised under the topic of Emergency services.

That this House is concerned by the way that some ambulance trusts are meeting the A19 target; notes that the definition of the A19 target is the total number of category A calls which resultedin afully equipped ambulance vehicle, able to transport the patient in a clinically safe manner, arriving at the scene of the incident within 19 minutes irrespective of location in 95 per cent of cases; further notes that this target was set for the transportation of category A patients and is being claimed routinely on the arrival of any rapid response vehicle (RRV) including cars; recognises that in most cases category A patients arethe mostcritically ill or injured, and as such, most likely to need rapid transport; further recognises that most of these patients are unable to be transported in a car; calls on the Government to encourage ethical behaviour from ambulance trusts, including the East of England Ambulance Trust, which is manning RRVs over ambulances in order to achieve targets; further recognises that this has created delays and poor clinical outcomes for patients, particularly stroke patients in Norfolk; further calls on the Government to give clearer direction to allambulance trusts, for the benefit and protection of vulnerable patients and to reflect the nature of the target, which is to record the percentage of calls for which the actual transportable resource arrives within 19 minutes; and furthercalls on the Government to review this matter urgently so that the A19 target can only be met by the actual transporting resource.

This motion has been signed by a total of 19 MPs.