East Anglia fails with ambulance response times

East Anglian ambulances fail to meet targets for response times Credit: ITV News Anglia

After years of criticism, new management and a drive to recruit more paramedics the time it takes for ambulances to get to life threatening emergencies in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk is continuing to fall well below government targets.

In some rural areas the response times are actually worse than they were six months ago.

In June 2013 all five non executive directors of the East of England Ambulance Trust resigned. The new UKIP MP for Clacton, Douglas Carswell, says if things don't improve and quickly then their replacements should go too.

Ambulances should reach emergencies within 8 minutes of a 999 call.

A Red 1 response is for patients who have suffered a cardiac arrest or who have stopped breathing. A Red 2 response is for all other emergencies.

In the worst areas more than half of ambulances are not reaching a Red 1 emergency within the time target. Only in one area, Southend, did all ambulances arrive at Red 1 call within 8 minutes.

Percentage of times East of Anglia ambulances reached a Red 1 call within 8 minutes in September 2014

  • 42.0% in South Norfolk

  • 42.4% in North Norfolk

  • 62.0% in West Essex

  • 67.2% in Ipswich and East Suffolk

  • 67.4% in West Norfolk

  • 69.8% in North East Essex

  • 70.4% in West Suffolk

  • 70.4% in Great Yarmouth and Waveney

  • 72.0% in Castle Point and Rochford

  • 73.9% in Basildon & Brentwood

  • 75.0% in Mid Essex

  • 81.1% in Norwich

  • 100.0% in Southend

Click below to watch a report by ITV News Anglia's Victoria Lampard