London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
220 Waterloo Road
London
SE1 8SD
www.londonambulance.nhs.uk
Ms Kim Wright CEO
Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London
SE6 4RU
5th July 2020
OFFICIAL
Dear Ms Kim Wright
Traffic Management Act 2004: network management in response to COVID-19 statutory guidance
On 23 May the Government updated the guidance for network management in response to COVID-19, with
the Secretary of State for Transport setting out the expectation for ‘local authorities to make significant
changes to their road layouts to give more space to cyclists and pedestrians’.
1
The London Ambulance Service (LAS) generally supports these proposals in order to assist the recovering from
COVID-19 and to promote active travel, while helping to achieve the aim of providing a lasting legacy of
greener, safer transport. However there is a level of concern around the types of proposed changes, speed of
implementation and limited consultation with emergency services around these schemes.
The LAS is keen to work with Transport for London (TfL) and local authorities to support any proposed
changes as required by the statutory guidance. The guidance specifies that TfL and local authorities should
‘consult with the local chiefs of police and emergency services to ensure access is maintained where needed’.
The LAS therefore kindly requests that TfL and local authorities seek input from stakeholders during the
design phase and allow time for consideration of the impact of any changes to road systems and provide a
response.
Our attendance targets are set nationally by the Department of Health and are based on the clinical need of
the patient; with immediately life threatening calls requiring an ambulance response within 7 minutes of the
999 call. The LAS are concerned that some changes to road layouts, design features suggested and traffic
management schemes proposed may impede our response to time critical patients and ability to convey
patients to definitive hospital care without delay or hindrance.
1 Department for Transport Statutory guidance :Traffic Management Act 2004: network management in response to COVID-19
Updated 23 May 2020
Key Considerations – Ambulance Service Perspective
Things that need to be considered when planning projects;
It is not acceptable to delay the ambulances reaching address or 999 calls within a restricted traffic area, as any
delay could result in death or permanent injury to a patient. HM Coroner has issued prevent future death
notices regarding these issues previously, so any scheme must easily allow emergency vehicle access at all times
during operation. I have attached the PFD notice from the Leeds Head Coroner.
An obstruction of emergency services could also be considered as obstruction under the Emergency Workers
(Obstruction) Act 2006. So measures must be put in place to ensure equal access to all services.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/39/section/1
Main issues considered in plans;
Closure of roads without consultation – any closures must, at all times, have emergency vehicle access of 3.5
metres to allow ambulance easy unimpeded access.
ANPR enforcement cameras are ideal ways of enforcing restrictions without physically closing or blocking roads.
If a diversion is put in place these must be very small and careful consideration to other delays like width
restrictions, parking bays, speed bumps, barriers and one way streets need to be taken into account to minimise
further delays.
Barriers requiring GERDA of FB keys. London Ambulance Services vehicles do not carry GERDA or FB keys so any
bollards/gates would need to be able lowered/opened remotely by a control centre to allow ambulance access,
this must be a 24/7 operation and a quick response from any control centre or traffic marshal.
Immovable concrete or similar barriers/planters must allow emergency access gaps of 3.5 metres to allow
access at all times.
Clear signage must be visible to make it evident that emergency vehicle are allowed access. (Access permitted
for emergency vehicles for example) both on street signage and road paintings.
Where lanes are closed on roads – safe parking areas are needed for crews to park in if dealing with an incident
on these roads for safety reasons, otherwise we will routinely have to block routes to attend incidents as we
cannot delay reaching patients, this will than increase congestion further.
LAS does not have emergency routes due to the fleet utilisation and nearest ambulance dispatched model, as
we don’t normally respond from stations.
Local authority highways teams and TFL must contact local management teams to discuss any changes to roads
or traffic order either temporary or experimental and allow sufficient consultation periods to address concerns
and potential impacts.
Local authorities need to speak to each other around schemes as some boroughs to avoid closures to create a
coordinated approach to schemes.
The considerations are also applicable to wider health and social care services including patient transport
services and community based health and social care services, as patients will need to be picked up for
appointments like dialysis, cancer care and also discharged home from hospital.