Inquiry reveals wide variations in ambulance response times revealed

A total of 63 areas across Kirklees are not reached by ambulances within eight minutes for 75 per cent of emergency/life-threatening Category A calls.

The worst performing areas are rural parts of Huddersfield, with Skelmanthorpe. Scholes and Holme showing the slowest response times.

The quickest times were in urban areas near to Huddersfield and Dewsbury town centres.

In Cumberworth (Upper and Lower), there were six Category A calls between April and September last year but none were reached within the national target of eight minutes.

Of the seven Category A calls from Hade Edge and Cartworth, none were reached in the target time.

In Scissett, 94 per cent of the 33 Category A calls did not hit the target and similar figures were recorded for Emley and Flockton.

The findings are contained in a report, Ambulance Response Times, presented yesterday by an ad hoc scrutiny panel of the council.

The report, which has made eight recommendations, says: “By dividing Kirklees into smaller recognised areas of settlement a more detailed analysis of the data...highlighted 63 areas across the district where the Category A eight minute response time was not achieved.

“The total number of calls to these areas was 3,297 which accounted for approximately 40 per cent of total demand.

“The data showed wide variances in performance across the district with the worst performing areas being located around the rural areas close to Skelmanthorpe, Scholes and Holme and the best performing areas located in the urban areas.”

The top performing areas were Taylor Hill, Lindley and Gledholt in Huddersfield, followed by Staincliffe, Springfield, Eightlands and the Flatts in the Dewsbury area.

The report concludes that response times are improving, in part thanks to changes in staff rotas and that Kirklees is one of the most improved areas.

The ambulance service has worked on improving turnaround times of ambulances delivering patients to hospitals, the report says.

Parking problems for ambulances at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, which added to delays, were being addressed.

“Yorkshire Ambulance Service has completed a comprehensive review of staff rotas aimed at redesigning the rota system in order to meet the changes in the demand patterns and is looking to introduce new working arrangements in 2011,” the report concludes.

Members of the committee have asked for further information on response times at the end of the year.

Yesterday the assistant director of accident and emergency operations covering the Kirklees area at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Tasnim Ali, said: “Year on year our response times continue to show steady improvement and we are reaching patients more quickly than ever before.

“We welcome the input from the Kirklees Council Scrutiny Panel and are pleased that they have recognised the positive progress already made by the trust to improve response times in the area. We will continue to work closely with them and our healthcare partners to further improve services in Kirklees, especially those in the more rural areas of the patch.

“At the end of February 2011, our year-to-date performance for the Kirklees area shows that we are reaching 75 per cent of patients with potentially life-threatening illnesses or injuries within eight minutes and 40 seconds.

“We aim to respond to all patients as quickly as possible but response times are not the only measure of the service we provide to our patients and we are also very proud of the high quality clinical care given by our staff.”