NHS Ambulance Response Times Miss Targets for Heart Attack and Stroke Patients in England

NHS ambulance crews in England are struggling to meet critical response time targets for patients suffering from life-threatening emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes, according to a recent report. The data, obtained by the Liberal Democrats, reveals that every region in England, except for one, failed to meet the vital NHS targets for responding to the most critically ill patients in 2022. "Patients are being left to suffer unnecessarily and can no longer be confident an ambulance will arrive in time," the report warns.

The figures show that in some cases, patients waited more than 24 hours for an ambulance response. Cornwall had the worst average response times, with Category 2 patients, which include those with suspected strokes or heart attacks, waiting an average of one hour and nine minutes for an ambulance. West Devon and South Hams also experienced significant delays, with patients waiting over an hour on average for emergency assistance.

The report found that 173 out of 194 areas failed to meet the 7-minute response time target for life-threatening 'Category 1' calls. Furthermore, across 165 areas, nine out of ten reported an increase in average ambulance response times for 'Category 2' calls since 2019, with some areas seeing more than a doubling of response times. The Liberal Democrats have called for urgent investment in the ambulance services, stating that the Conservative government has overseen the "complete decimation" of local NHS services.

Why this matters: The failure to meet critical ambulance response time targets puts the lives of patients at risk, particularly those suffering from time-sensitive emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes. The delays in receiving emergency care can have severe consequences for patient outcomes and survival rates, highlighting the need for urgent action to address the crisis facing NHS ambulance services in England.

The Department of Health and Social Care has acknowledged the need for improvements, stating that they have seen significant progress in ambulance response times this year. However, the chief executive of NHS Providers emphasizes that there is still a long way to go to hit the targets, citing rising demand, limited resources, and staff shortages as factors driving up ambulance waiting times. The government has committed additional funding and new ambulances to improve response times, but the NHS Confederation stresses that urgent investment is necessary to address the critical situation.

Key Takeaways

• NHS ambulance crews in England failing to meet critical response time targets
• Patients waiting over 24 hours for ambulance response, with Cornwall worst affected
• 173 out of 194 areas failed to meet 7-minute response time target for life-threatening calls
• Delays in emergency care can have severe consequences for patient outcomes and survival
• Government acknowledges need for improvements, but NHS Confederation stresses urgent investment required