Staffordshire ambulances miss 999 call targets

Ambulances in Cannock only reached patients within the target of eight minutes in 67 per cent of cases – well below the 75 per cent target.

In Stafford, the number reached in time was 71 per cent – again below the Government set benchmark.

Ambulance bosses blame the failure on changes made at County Hospital in Stafford, which has seen services move and more patients being taken to nearby hospitals in Wolverhampton and Stoke.

The February figures for Cannock show responses within the target time for Red 1 calls – cardiac arrest or life-threatening traumatic injuries – were just 66.7 per cent.

In March it increased to 72 per cent but fell in April to 70.3 per cent. In a response to the failings, the service has said figures for Cannock are a reflection on the sheer volumes of calls, with central Cannock remaining the busiest area in South Staffordshire.

Figures for the same three month period for Stafford also show the number of Red 1 calls responded to within the eight minutes failed to reach targets. In Stafford, 74.4 per cent of calls were responded to on time in February but this figure dropped to 72.3 per cent in March and continued to fall to 70.6 per cent in April.

Jamie Arrowsmith, spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: "We are aware of the challenges faced at times in Stafford and surrounding areas and we are working to ensure further improvements."

The report by the Cannock Chase Clinical Commissioning Group also reveals that response times since February to Red 2 calls – serious breathing difficulties or suspected stroke with serious symptoms – were also under the national targets.

In Cannock, 73.2 per cent of February's calls were responded to within the eight minute target but in March this decreased to 72.2 per cent. In April the service hit the target, responding to 80.4 per cent of calls in time.

The number of Red 2 calls responded to on time in Stafford has increased each month but remains short of the target.