27 November 2023 , 00:01
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One in 10 patients facing potentially life threatening emergencies waited more than 90 minutes for an ambulance, figures show.
Heart attack and stroke victims should be seen by paramedics within 18 minutes on average. But NHS England data shows targets were missed in every region in England in October as ambulance services saw their busiest month of the year so far.
More than 2.2million people attended A&Es last month, making it the busiest October on record. Analysis shows patients waited an average of almost 42 minutes for paramedics across the country - more than double the target.
Patients in the South West faced the worst delays, with one in 10 patients in so-called Category 2 calls waiting close to two hours for help to arrive. This is more than double the delays faced by patients in the South East Coast where one in 10 waited 55 minutes in Category 2 emergencies.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt was accused of leaving the NHS "out in the cold" after this week's Autumn Statement failed to offer a cash injection for the health service. Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: “We know that a matter of minutes can make all the difference in emergencies.
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"So it is heartbreaking to see ambulance delays are worsening and heart attack and stroke victims being left waiting hours for help to arrive. "Jeremy Hunt left the NHS out in the cold in this week’s Autumn Statement, despite all the evidence that the health service is facing another crisis this winter."
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director, said the figures were "a stark reminder of the ongoing pressures the NHS is facing, particularly in emergency care with significant demand for ambulances and A&E, as we head into what we are expecting to be another challenging winter in the health service".
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Our work delivered through the Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan is already improving ambulance response times, with average responses to Category 2 incidents almost 20 minutes faster compared to last year. Alongside record funding, we are providing an additional £800million for this winter to support the NHS. We are also working to get 800 new ambulances on the road and create 5,000 permanent staffed hospital beds to further reduce waiting times.”