The ambulance service in England took 7.87 million emergency and urgent calls in 2009/10; 391,000 more than in the previous year, a new report from The NHS Information Centre shows today.
It also completed 4.70 million urgent and emergency patient journeys in 2009/10; just over 191,000 more than in the previous year, according to Ambulance Services: England, 2009-10.
The report also includes for the first time figures on the number of least urgent calls (category C calls) resolved with telephone advice only. In 2009/10 the figure was 221,000, or 8.8 per cent of all category C calls.
Ambulance responses are split by category; A (immediately life threatening) B (serious but not immediately life threatening) or C (not immediately serious or life threatening). For category A incidents, the service has a target of an emergency response arriving at the scene within eight minutes in 75 per cent of cases, and a fully equipped ambulance, if required, to attend within 19 minutes in 95 per cent of cases.
In 2009/10 the percentage of category A incidents resulting in an emergency response arriving at the scene within eight minutes was 74.3 per cent, the same as the previous year, while the percentage resulting in a fully equipped ambulance arriving in 19 minutes was 96.8 per cent, compared to 96.9 per cent the previous year.
Of the 12 NHS organisations providing ambulance services, seven met or exceeded the 75 per cent standard for eight minute response times, the same number as the previous year. Four exceeded 72 per cent and one over 70 per cent.
NHS Information Centre chief executive Tim Straughan said: “This report shows the ambulance service is busier than ever, and also gives new detail about how many calls are resolved with telephone advice only.
“This is the second report we have published since the new ‘call connect’ response target was introduced, and it appears roughly the same percentage of the most serious calls were responded to within the eight minute target as in the previous year, although of course more calls were dealt with in 2009/10.
“The figures give a clear picture of how the ambulance service operated on the ground last year and will help both the service and the NHS plan for the future.”
The full report is available at: www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/ambserv0910
