North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan demands action on local ambulance waiting times

Helen Morgan and the Liberal Democrats Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP, have called for an urgent review into the ambulance crisis which leaves thousands in Shropshire waiting too long for emergency treatment. 

The letter to the Health Secretary calls for a Care Quality Commission (CQC) review into ambulance services in England, with all ambulance services across the country now at REAP level 4, the highest level meaning that ambulance services are under “Extreme Pressure”.

With Covid rates rising, there is now a fear the ambulance crisis in Shropshire will worsen. 

The region already has one of the worst performing ambulance services, with new figures released over the weekend revealing 52% of patients at Royal Shrewsbury are left waiting more than 30 minutes in an ambulance before being handed over to A&E. The backlog in A&E, and shortages of ambulances, leaves those in need of emergency care left waiting dangerously long amounts of times before receiving care. 

Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire Helen Morgan has demanded action:

“There is no time to waste in solving the crippling ambulance crisis which puts lives in danger. 

“With a worrying new wave of Covid infections set to put new strains on our underfunded and overstretched NHS, I am concerned ambulance waiting times in Shropshire could become worse in the weeks ahead. 

“It was clear from my thousands of conversations on the doorstep that the ambulance crisis is the biggest concern to local people, and I will take up the mantle of demanding we get more funding to solve it.”

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

“The pressures on ambulance services have been ignored by the Government for too long. We need this urgent review to identify the system-wide challenges facing ambulance services, and crucially, how we solve them. The Government must end the devastating reality that for far too many people, an ambulance just won’t arrive in time to provide them with life-saving treatment. 

“The Liberal Democrats have already set out a five point plan on how the Government could cut ambulance waiting times, including emergency funding for areas such as Shropshire. 

“Helen cares passionately about her local community and has hit the ground running by demanding this action within hours of being elected.”

Letter

20th December 2021
The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP
Department of Health and Social Care
39 Victoria Street,
London,
SW1H 0EU
Monday, 20th December 2021

Dear Secretary of State,

We are writing to call on you to commission a review by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) into ambulance services in England. 

Ambulance services are desperately struggling to keep up with record demand. Waiting times for ambulances have increased dramatically and hospital handover delays are causing harm to patients. Only last week, NHS data showed that almost a quarter of the 84,000 patients brought to A&E waited for more than half an hour. 

Long waits at hospitals tie up ambulances that are needed elsewhere and have a severe knock on effect on people’s health, especially in emergency cases. Patients should not have to wait in an ambulance for treatment or for a bed to be found.

This year the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives found that 160,000 people a year are coming to harm, of whom 12,000 have experienced “severe harm”, because of the issues impacting ambulances. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine too, believes the system overall is under "intolerable pressure".

You’ll also be aware that all of England’s ambulance services have declared that they are in REAP level 4. This is the highest level, meaning that ambulance services are under “Extreme Pressure” and are worried about their ability to maintain a safe and timely service.

Covid has of course increased the pressure on our health and care services and ambulance staff are working flat out to keep us safe and healthy. But the government’s efforts to reduce the backlog of people waiting for treatments and support primary care, such as GPs, has exacerbated this already dire situation. The public need assurance that when they ring 999 they get the emergency health response they need.

That is why a full review of ambulance services is needed in England now. People need to know what the issues are and what can be done to fix them. The Liberal Democrats have suggested a five point plan to support ambulance services including emergency funding to reverse closures of community ambulance stations, as well as the full and proper CQC investigation we are calling for here.

The CQC have made it clear that they have very serious concerns about the risk to patient safety as a result of delays. They have publicly stated that urgent action is needed and highlighted in this year’s State of Care report a stark warning that overstretched ambulance services are putting patients at risk.

The CQC does not, however, have the power to launch a review or investigation, it can only regulate and assess providers of health and care services. It needs explicit direction from you as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, under powers laid out in Section 48 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 to carry out any review.

We hope that you will launch an investigation as soon as feasibly possible.

We look forward to your reply. 

Yours sincerely,

Helen Morgan
Incoming Member of Parliament for North Shropshire

Daisy Cooper MP
Member of Parliament for St Albans
Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care Spokesperson