Community paramedics among fastest in the country – FOI shows
Response times of community paramedics in Northumberland are among the fastest in the country for 999 emergencies, according to data analysed by a national newspaper.
A Freedom of Information request by The Times examined response times for NHS ambulance trusts across the country. In their analysis, postcodes covering the NE49 (Haltwhistle) area averaged an ambulance response in 4 minutes 29 seconds in 75% of incidents between 2012 and 2015.
This was the fastest ambulance response of anywhere in the UK, according to their FOI analysis.
Postcodes covering the NE71 (Wooler) area averaged an ambulance response in 4 minutes 45 seconds in 75% of incidents between 2012 and 2015; making this area the fourth fastest for a paramedic response in the UK.
A separate analysis of the data by NEAS has shown that the postcodes covering community paramedics in the NE48 (Bellingham) area averaged an ambulance response in 9 minutes 50 seconds in 75% of incidents between 2012 and 2015.
And postcodes covering the NE65 (Rothbury) area averaged an ambulance response in 10 minutes in 75% of incidents.
The worst ambulance response times were mainly in the South, which achieved a response in 29 minutes 46 seconds in 75% of incidents between 2012 and 2015.
Paul Liversidge, chief operating officer for North East Ambulance Service, said: “The changes we made to our rural ambulance cover in Northumberland almost ten years’ ago has clearly had a beneficial impact on our ability to respond to emergencies.
“The community paramedics based in their localities are not only available to treat 999 emergencies in their area, but also support local GPs and district nurses, helping to treat patients at home and prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.
“At a time when the NHS is under enormous pressure, this service is a good example of collaboration and integration between primary care and urgent and emergency care which appears to benefit not just our patients, but also the wider NHS system.”
Notes to editors
Notes to editors:
If you require any further information please contact the North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust Press Office on 0191 430 2099
Ambulance FOI data is available from https://www.neas.nhs.uk/contact-us/foi-requests/foi-log-of-requests
The Times analysis and report on the FOI data is available from their website at: http://www.thetimes.co.uk
About North East Ambulance Service:
North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (NEAS) covers 3,200 square miles across the North East region. It employs more than 2,500 staff and serves a population of 2.7 million people by handling all NHS 111 and 999 calls for the region, operating patient transport and ambulance response services, delivering training for communities and commercial audiences and providing medical support cover at events.
In 2014/15 the service answered 1.107 million emergency 999 and NHS 111 calls, responded to 302,687 incidents that resulted in a patient being taken to hospital, treated and discharged 18,144 patients with telephone advice and treated and discharged 81,990 patients at home. In the same year, emergency care crews reached 134,745 incidents within the national target of 8 minutes.