Ambulance targets 'endanger patients'

Ambulance crews have to meet strict response times

Ambulances are being diverted to minor calls as seriously-ill patients are kept waiting, a Teesside doctor claims.

Dr John Canning, says there have been at least two "adverse outcomes" in his area when patients were forced to wait for an ambulance despite GPs putting in "urgent" calls.

Dr Canning, secretary of the Cleveland Local Medical Committee, says patients may be left for several hours as ambulances are diverted a number of times.

Dr Canning's comments appear in the newspaper of the British Medical Association (BMA), which claims emergency response targets are failing patients.

Major problems

Dr Canning said: "The GP is one of the people who gets the blame in these circumstances.

"We've had instances when GPs were taken through complaints procedures when it has not been their fault."

Ambulance trusts have to respond within eight minutes to 999 calls in at least 75% of cases.

The report in BMA News warns this means that across the UK minor 999 calls are taking precedence over major problems reported by GPs.

Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust covers Dr Canning's area.

'Clinical priority'

The trust's patient services director Tim Lynch said: "It is possible for GP urgent calls to slide back. It is a problem across the UK."

He said discussions between local medical committees and ambulance trusts were needed to produce a national solution.

BMA GP negotiator Peter Holden said: "The drive to achieve response times is overriding clinical priority.

Government targets

"It requires a political decision to allow ambulance services to bypass inappropriate 999 calls."

In July, Health Which? magazine claimed some ambulance response times were being manipulated to meet government targets.

The Department of Health dismissed the accusation.