UNISON welcomes Welsh decision on ambulance response times

UNISON Cymru/Wales has welcomed the proposed removal of ambulance response times targets for all but the most life-threatened patients in Wales.

For over three years, UNISON has publicly led calls across Wales for a suite of evidence-based performance indicators that show the people of Wales how well the service is performing in terms of patient outcomes and treatment.

Today’s announcement finally breaks the reliance on how fast an ambulance was being driven as the most important Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust (WAST) quality indicator.

Instead, performance will be determined by what happened after the ambulance arrived. In other words, patient care and patient outcome.

Ambulance lead for UNISON Cymru Wales Darron Dupre said: “The decision today from the Welsh government, supported by WAST and by UNISON, has shown considerable leadership and courage.

“It is a decision that will be supported by paramedics, control room staff, emergency department consultants and most of those who provide emergency care throughout Wales.

“We believe that these proposals, throwing a blanket of resources around the most immediately life-threatened patients in Wales, will ultimately save lives and provide the best possible quality of life for survivors of the most traumatic incidents.

“UNISON believes that a world-class ambulance service needs to be judged by great patient care and great patient outcomes.

“Today’s announcement sets us on exactly that journey.”

UNISON Cymru Wales had of health Dawn Bowden noted: “UNISON has long campaigned for the introduction of meaningful targets for the Welsh Ambulance Service.

“Currently, the people of Wales cannot say that WAST is performing well because none of the performance measures actually measure patient outcome.

“All patients in Wales can now expect an ambulance service that will be responsive to exactly their level of wellbeing and will be measured accordingly.

“UNISON will work with the Welsh government, WAST and other partners to help deliver a Welsh Ambulance Service fit for the 21st Century.”

Welsh paramedic and the union’s UK ambulance sector representative Joe Conaghan commented: “The Welsh Ambulance Service has moved on significantly since 1974 when the eight-minute target was first set.

“In 2015, clinical knowledge and understanding of life-threatening diseases and injuries has been completely revolutionised and therefore we need an intelligent and evidenced way of measuring the service.

“This announcement, measuring and publishing patient outcomes rather than constantly ‘chasing the eight’ is exactly what emergency medical staff have been waiting many years for.”