Response time failure ‘puts lives at risk’

Yorkshire ambulance service downgraded 11,000 emergency calls in 2014 – 30 a day – according to Freedom of Information requests. But despite this it failed to hit the national target of getting 75 per cent of ambulances to the most serious emergencies in eight minutes.

In the 12 months between October 2013 and October 2014 the target was missed in 11. Unite has said the failure to hit response times puts lives at risk.

Further detailed analysis of the YAS’s own figures show that despite a “national” response target, in five out of the eight  NHS areas covered by the YAS, no attempt is even made to hit the eight minute target 75 per cent of the time.

Of the eight clinical commissioning group areas covered by YAS, only Leeds North, Harrogate and rural, and Rotherham have been set the national target of 75 per cent of ambulances to get to the most serious emergencies within eight minutes.

Lower targets

The Airedale, Wharfdale and Craven area has a 59.5  per cent target, Hambleton, Richmond and Whitby a 66 per cent  target, East Riding a 72.2 per cent target, Vale of York 72.5 per cent  and Barnsley 74 per cent . All five of these areas have a target time lower, in some cases far lower, than the national target.

According to Unite, paramedics have warned for years of patients’ lives potentially being put at risk by decisions made at the top of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service. They have been targeted and gagged by senior management and their board, the union says.

The paramedics have been subject to trumped-up disciplinary action and seen their union agreement torn up because they sought to expose the truth to the public. “Whistle-blowers”, who wish to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, have made allegations of emergency call-out data being manipulated to cover-up systemic failure to reach targets.

This includes being re-directed during an emergency response if they have failed to meet the response target for that call in order to attend another emergency where they can hit the target. This can leave the first incident caller waiting significantly longer.

Emergency care assistants with only a fraction of the training of their qualified colleagues are being sent to urgent and emergency calls without a qualified paramedic.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has begun its inspection of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS). The inspection is part of the final stages of YAS’s application to become a foundation trust which would give the board more powers to increase the pay of senior management, the ability to borrow money and the right to generate up to 49 per cent of its revenue from private income.

Unite maintains that YAS must not be rewarded for failure.

Alarming

Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey said, “What Unite has uncovered is absolutely alarming. There needs to be a thorough investigation into allegations that the service could be gambling with people’s lives. Senior management at the Yorkshire Ambulance Service have a record of systemic failure, incompetence and are mired in allegations of cover-ups.

“Despite its failings, YAS is brazenly attempting to become a foundation trust which would give the board greater powers, including the authority to increase the pay of senior management, the ability to borrow money and the right to generate up to 49 per cent of their revenue from private income.

“Unlike other ambulance trusts and foundation trusts, the senior management of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service have refused to disclose their full business plans for the next five years. That is because what they contain will cause public outrage throughout Yorkshire and Humberside. Staff numbers are to be slashed by over 10 per cent, the fleet is to be slashed by over 15 per cent and closures of ambulance stations are planned.”

Ian Brandwood, executive director of people and engagement at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said the trust “strongly refute the misleading claims” of Unite.

“We don’t agree with the serious allegations relating to the accuracy of our emergency call coding and financial accounts, which are both regularly audited by external bodies and have been signed off with high assurance,” he said.

In response to the downgrading figures supplied in Freedom of Information requests the trust said it provided further in-depth assessment of emergencies. Priority can be upgraded or downgraded – although the trust supplied no figures for the number of calls which were upgraded in priority.

Debbie Wilkinson, chair of the national Unite ambulance committee said, “There is a national crisis in the ambulance service and in some trusts this has led to a creative approach to hitting targets. It is important to establish which of these approaches cross the line to becoming misleading or manipulating figures.

“The behind the scenes attempts to change English response targets for Red 2 incidents was leaked before Christmas. It was a clear attempt to significantly downgrade response times for those types of emergencies in ambulance trusts across England.

“Unite has set up a whistleblowing service to allow staff and patients to highlight their concerns. There needs to be a lot more transparency about what is happening so that we, the public and those democratically responsible have the facts.”