Flu blamed for rise in ambulance workload (From Redhill And Reigate Life)

Flu blamed for rise in ambulance workload

10:25am Friday 19th June 2009

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A flu outbreak and icy weather led to an ambulance service handling an unprecedented number of emergency calls.

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust dealt with 159,405 life-threatening emergencies last year compared with 152,122 the year before.

Figures from the NHS Information Centre show the trust just managed to hit the Government’s target of reaching 75% of critically ill or injured patients within eight minutes of a 999 call being made.

The most urgent cases are given top priority and classed as category A.

The trust failed the national target of reaching less urgent category B cases by under 1% and managers insist they are committed to improving their performance.

South East Coast, which covers Surrey, Sussex and Kent, was swamped with hundreds of extra calls in December and January as a flu virus swept across the region. Hospitals were packed with patients, most of them elderly, with serious respiratory problems and other complications caused by the virus.

Heavy snow and icy conditions earlier this year led to one of the coldest winters for a decade and added to demand.

Service chief executive Paul Sutton said: “We are pleased with what we have achieved during the past year and it is a credit to the hard work and commitment of our staff.

“However, success isn’t just about getting to the patient quickly, it’s also about doing the right thing when we get there to ensure the best outcome.

“We are constantly striving to improve outcomes for patients. As such, we have developed specialist paramedic roles, introduced new clinical techniques and rolled out new vehicles and equipment across the region – all of which have improved the service we’re able to provide.”

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