29.08.14
Investment in ambulance services needed as complaints increase – Paramedics
Paramedics have called on the government to invest in ambulance services after new figures revealed a spike in the amount of complaints about delayed emergency responses. Reports Abigail Lillicrap.
A recent HSCIC report revealed that the ambulance service profession received the highest amount of complaints in the year 2013-14, an increase of 28.5% from the previous year.
The biggest cause of complaints was delays, said the College of Paramedics. However, it argues that the demand for ambulances and paramedics has increased greatly in recent years, with operators receiving up to 8.5 million calls.
It also suggests that there currently aren’t the resources to deal with this demand, meaning low priority patients are often left waiting for treatment. This was highlighted in the report as complaints about patient transportation, including ambulances, increased by 43%.
HSCIC noted that during 2013-14 some ambulance trusts took over responsibility for 111 services, so the increase is a combination of the additional 111 service complaints plus a potential increase in the number of complaints against traditional ambulance services.
Martin Berry, executive officer of the College of Paramedics, told the Independent that in order to solve long delays, more paramedics are needed.
“We have seen a massive increase in demand and there has not been the financial investment to meet that increase in demand,” said Berry.
A Department of Health spokesperson that there are over 16% more paramedics than there were in 2010. However, the department is conscious that more needs to be done.
“That’s why all ambulance services are actively recruiting and we are making sure we have enough paramedics trained for the future,” he said.
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