Ambulance figures improve

Long-term pressure on the NWAS (North West Ambulance Service) and regular meetings with the ambulance service's chief executive seem to have resulted in a significant improvement in response times in the Audlem area.

Nantwich and Audlem representatives have met with senior ambulance managers every quarter since a local campaign started three years ago to improve response times after a series of lengthy waits in the Audlem area after 999 calls.

Earlier this year, NWAS agreed to station an ambulance in Nantwich – previously vehicles had been based largely at Leighton Hospital or were travelling very lengthy distances. From response rates averaging around 50% previously for CW3-area emergency calls, NWAS figures now show that response rates hitting the 19-minute national target have reached 75% so far this year.

Excluding the two months of 2010 before the Nantwich ambulance came into service, the figures since 28th February are somewhat better at just over 79%.

At the latest meeting with NWAS on Friday 3rd December, the possibility of locating an ambulance on the southern side of Nantwich was discussed as a way of moving the Audlem figures nearer to the national target of 95% of Category A calls reached with 19 minutes. Nantwich calls are now just about reaching that national target, a significant improvement over previous years.

There is also an 8-minute national target for Category A calls. Campaigners have always accepted it will be very tough to reach the 75% of Category A calls reached within 8 minutes given Audlem's location and have focussed on meeting the 19-minute target. This does seem to be achieving results.

Training for First Responders is also discussed at the meeting. Again, NWAS appears to be moving in the right direction. They outlined a new county-based strategy rather than the regional approach introduced when the NWAS replaced more local services three years ago. That resulted in a more restricted range of training in Cheshire than the county's First Responders had received before regionalisation.

This county-based strategy is currently out for consultation with the ambulance service unions. More on this when we have further information.

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