All response targets for emergencies were missed in the 12 months to July
There is “no easy answer” for fixing long delays in Nottinghamshire ambulance response times as the wider health network faces backlogs in patient discharges an handovers in hospitals, an ambulance service boss has said.
The figures and anecdotes have sparked concerns the health service could struggle further as the winter months loom. The EMAS figures revealed crews failed to meet their average seven-minute target for category one incidents – those classed as immediately life-threatening – in every month between August 2021 and this July.
Speaking at Nottinghamshire County Council’s health scrutiny committee meeting on Tuesday , Councillor Michelle Welsh , who represents Arnold South, recalled her own experiences with the service. During the meeting, councillors questioned EMAS bosses on what more could be done to support the organisation and improve the waiting times.
“I don’t like to use the word efficiency when I’m talking about patients but that’s what it is, really. .” The meeting also heard from healthcare bosses who said the wider network is under “sustained pressure”, impacting significantly on discharges and patient flow.