Agenda item

Martyn Pritchard, Chief Executive, Yorkshire Ambulance Service and Andy Buck, Chief Executive, NHS Rotherham gave a presentation on the Emergency 999 Services performance in Rotherham.

The presentation drew specific attention to:-

• Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS), a regional service – in Facts and Figures
• Where the YAS fit with the rest of the NHS
• Working across the region’s Partnerships
• Key Measures
• Progress made in 2008
• Clinical Performance Indicators (CPIs)
• Response Times for YAS
• Resources and Investment
• Response times for Rotherham
• Paramedic Practitioner Scheme
• Next Steps
  • What we are doing now
  • How we can work together

A question and answer session ensued and the following issues were discussed:-

• How many hoax calls were made to the Ambulance Service.  It was confirmed that there were very few hoax calls, but there were calls which were not true emergencies and could better be dealt with by another service.
• Was the 8 minute response time target, an average time?  Confirmation was given that the minimum 8 minute response time had to be met 75% of the time in order to meet the target.
• Did the response refer to a medical person responding within 8 minutes or was it simply that a vehicle arrived within this time?  It was confirmed that this would include response by a Community First Responder or a paramedic.
• A query was raised as to whether the Category A 8 minute target which had been achieved by Rotherham was sustainable.  Confirmation was given that with more staff, better communication technology and more staff “off station on standby” it was achievable to sustain this target.
• What caused YAS to have registration conditions imposed on it, with respect to managing infection, and had the problem now been resolved?  There were two major issues which caused this, one of which was that the trust was implementing infection control practices, but was not recording them adequately.  The other was uncertainty about whether voluntary car drivers and St Johns Ambulance were part of the scheme.  However the former had since been addressed and guidance had now been issued which clarified that these vehicles were excluded, so the Trust had now been able to declare itself fully compliant and had had its registration conditions lifted.
• Does the commissioning process meet the requirements of ‘World Class Commissioning’?  2-3 years ago it was not fit for purpose but work has been undertaken with the 12 PCTs resulting in significant improvements, so that it was now working towards meeting the ‘world class’ criteria.
• Does NHS Rotherham get value for money for its 999 services?  It was believed that the investment made by the 12 PCTs was justified and they were confident that value for money would be obtained once the contract was meeting all its clinical indicators and response targets.
• Why were YAS consistently underachieving on the Cat B, 19 minute target, both across the YAS area and in Rotherham?  Cat A calls had always taken priority which had impacted on the target for Cat B.  Steps were now being taken to address this issue eg trialling a paramedic practitioner scheme in Rotherham.  However, as there was no medical reason for having a 19 minute target, the Government was planning to replace this indicator with a new one from April 2010.
• Would patients be taken to the best hospital for their condition, in an emergency, or would they be taken to the nearest hospital to them at the time?  If there was time a patient would always be taken to the hospital that specialised with their condition.  However if the situation was that the condition was life threatening then they would be taken to the nearest hospital to be stablised.

Members thanked Martyn and Andy for their presentation.

Resolved:- That the performance against the Patient Transport contract for Rotherham be considered at a future meeting.