Wrong data blamed for weak audit

Faulty figures affected performance for response times

Incorrect data logged by an ambulance service has been blamed for falling performance ratings in a Healthcare Commission report.

The annual review found East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust failed to meet targets for responding to urgent but not life threatening calls.

It reported the eight-minute response time targets were not met due to the submission of unreliable information.

Trust chief executive Hayden Newton said faulty data was solely to blame.

He said the scores, while disappointing, in no way reflected on the quality of care provided by staff across the region.

"We discovered that, on a small number of occasions, 'on scene times' for community first responders and healthcare professionals other than ambulance service staff were logged incorrectly in our Norwich control centre.

Significant improvements

"Because of these errors, our data was classified as 'not returned' and we received a mandatory weak rating for quality of services.

"This score does not reflect on the care we provide to the public in the east of England and I would like to thank all of our staff for their continued commitment to providing the best possible service to patients."

The Trust has since strengthened its auditing processes in control rooms.

The ambulance service was rated as excellent against new national targets covering emergency response to strokes, infection control and compliance with relevant NICE guidelines.

Mr Newton said that significant changes and improvements had been made.

The Trust fulfilled its obligations to meet financial balance last year.

East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust covers Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.