Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM / AC
Press Release
25 May 2006
Labour's missed health targets woe continues
Figures released today show that the Labour Assembly Government is still failing to meet its own targets for emergency Ambulance response times. The target set by the Labour Assembly Government was that by the end of March 2005; 65% of all Category A calls for an Ambulance would receive a response within 8 minutes. Today's figures show that across Wales only 56.7% of all Category A calls received a response within 8 minutes.
Plaid's Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM commented:
"It is extremely concerning to see that the Labour Government has failed to place greater priority on ambulance services. I fear that the Government's policy of centralising health services, including ambulances, means that services are located further away from some parts of the population, and so accessing health provision is increasingly difficult for some.
"Plaid has recently questioned the Minister to detail the number and location of all ambulance stations in Wales since Labour came to power. He replied stating that he did not have the information. I think it is extremely worrying that own health Minister does not keep a record of where ambulance stations are located in Wales. How can such a Minister plan for the future development of ambulance services if he does not keep such basic information?"
Diwedd / Ends
Notes to Editors
Written question asked by Plaid in March 2006:
Helen Mary Jones: Will the Minister detail the number of ambulance stations that have closed in each LHB area for every year since 1997? (WAQ46247)
Brian Gibbons: This information is not held centrally.
