Emergency response times ‘fall to new low’

The latest statistics, obtained by Beverley and Holderness Conservative MP Graham Stuart, show only 45.6 per cent of emergency calls were being met in the Mid-Holderness area within the eight-minute guideline.

Previously they had risen to just over 50 per cent, he said, up from 48 per cent, before dropping again in the six months from January to June this year.

In March less than a third of ambulances - 31.6 per cent - arrived within the target time.

Mr Stuart, who has been campaigning on the issue, said: “I will be meeting with the chief executive of Yorkshire Ambulance Service later this month to find out what is going wrong and ask that he directs staff to improve response times in my mid- Holderness constituency.

“I want to go to the meeting with real-life examples of ambulances being delayed as well as taking a petition from residents and would be grateful if anyone who has had experience of a long wait for an ambulance could e-mail me at [email protected] or call me on 01482 679687.

“It is unacceptable that rural areas are receiving such a poor service.

“When you find yourself in a life-threatening situation you need help fast.”

Meanwhile East Riding councillors will be asked to back a motion by Coun Peter Turner, who represents Mid Holderness, expressing dismay at the poor response times.

He wants senior management at YAS to make “immediate, significant and continuing” improvements a priority.

Yesterday he said he was raising the motion at next Wednesday’s full council because of the ambulance service’s “repeated failure to get anywhere near the national targets.”

No one was available to comment from YAS.