Officers from the South West Ambulance Service Trust will provide an update on the key priorities for the service as it develops a new engagement strategy. The committee will have the opportunity to consider current ambulance performance levels for Wiltshire and determine how it would like to work with the Ambulance Service going forward.
Minutes:
Paul Birkett-Wendes, Wiltshire County Commander from the South West Ambulance Service Trust (SWAST), provided a verbal update on the key priorities for the service as it developed a new engagement strategy. He explained that the number of 999 calls they received had gone up significantly over the past six months. The increased pressure on the service meant that a major incident was declared between 7 and 10 September as three thousand incidents were reported in five consecutive days. Despite the rise in the number of calls, the overall number of people being admitted to hospital had not increased, with fewer than four in ten calls leading to someone being admitted to Accident and Emergency (A&E).
Of particular concern was an increase in the time that ambulances had to wait outside of hospitals. In the week commencing 6 September handover delays had led to the equivalent of 510 ambulance shifts being lost across the South West. This extra strain on resources meant that in September only 51 percent of category one calls were able to be responded to within 10 minutes, when the target was seven minutes. The commander reported that they were about to undertake an 18-month long transformation programme, so welcomed the input of the committee.
During the discussion the following points were made:
• Members thanked the commander for update and asked what they could do to remind their constituents to only ring 999 in a genuine emergency.
• Given that the overall number of patients going to A&E had not increased, the commander stated that the goal was to reduce the number of lower acuity 999 calls.
• Questions arose about the relationship between the increase in 999 calls and the ability of patients to see their GP or get through on the 111 line. The commander noted that they had a good relationship with their 111 colleagues. A pilot study was being trialled for 111 to hold on to category two calls for longer, allowing for extra evidence to be gathered about whether an ambulance was required.
• Members noted that they would like to see further information about Wiltshire specific figures and how they related to the wider South West figures.
• In response to questions about staff turnover in call centres, the commander stated that they were recently seeing around 10 to 13 resignations a month, out of an overall staff of around 500, which was higher than the figures the previous year.
• It was stated that council representatives were in regular contact with SWAST’s governance board. The Corporate Director of People stressed that the health system worked collectively and that conversations were ongoing about how best to relieve pressures.
Cllr Ridout briefly left the meeting between 13:06 and 13:14pm.
Resolved
1) To thank the Trust for the update on the ambulance service’s current activity and pressures.
2) To note:
a) That during September, the Trust declared a major incident due to the unprecedented levels of activity.
b) That during that period, the rates of people assessed by paramedics as requiring hospital treatment actually reduced; and
c) The significant handover delays being experienced at hospitals and the impact of this on ambulance response times.
3) To note that the Trust is about to commence an 18-month transformation programme, to include exploring ways to address the challenges being experienced at present.
4) To raise with the Health and Wellbeing Board the challenges being experienced by the Ambulance service and the importance of developing and promoting other ways of accessing treatment.
5) To receive a future report on the 111 trial being run by Medvivo and the Trust.