Pledge to improve response times
Dear East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust,
I've been told Dr Marsh recently gave a pledge to commissioning groups to drastically improve response times month on month after being given millions of pounds more by them.
I am unable to find information relating to how he said times would improve and by which dates.
Can you let me know what his projected improved response times were and also how these compare with reality?
If these are available elsewhere, can I have a link to them?
As always, kindly let me have just the facts and figures, no added "spin".
Yours faithfully,
J Lowe
Dear J Lowe
Thank you for your email dated 17th September 2014 where you requested information regarding the East of England Ambulance Service.
Your request will be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and we will respond to you within twenty working days. Your request has been allocated the following reference: F18535 and I would be grateful if you could quote this reference in any future correspondence with the Trust.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
FoI Officer
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Dear J Lowe
Further to your email dated 17th September 2014, the Trust publishes a variety of statistics each month and this includes the Trust performance and trajectory information. This trajectory for performance improvement was agreed with commissioners and reflects the funding made available by them during 2014/15. This information can be found here: http://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/Performance/vi...
I am obliged to advise you that if you are dissatisfied with the Trust’s response to your request you have a right to complain to the Trust and should set out your concerns to the Freedom of Information Officer, EEAST, Hospital Approach, Broomfield, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 7WS or by email to [East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust request email]. If you remain dissatisfied following this, you have a right under Section 50 of the FOIA to seek a determination from the Information Commissioner on whether the Act has been properly applied by the Trust. For more information, please see www.ico.gov.uk.
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information.
Kind regards
FoI Officer
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Dear East of England Ambulance Service
Unfortunately your reply is not overly helpful as I can not open the link, something to do with "Macros" and security certificates. I'm sure I'm probably not the only one who is unable to either.
It also doesn't appear that it will cover September 2014.
In order that this information can be actually viewed by anyone who wants to see it, can you provide the information here?
I just need to know for each month since Dr Marsh gave his commitment to the commission groups, what the promised figure was and what was actually achieved.
That should take no more than 5 minutes of anyones time so I would appreciate this by Monday 20th October at the very latest.
Yours sincerely,
J Lowe
Dear J Lowe
Thank you for your email, please find attached a copy of all of the Vital Signs information for August that has been published on our website - please see the Header page for details on accessing this information. The same information for September should be available on our internet site the week beginning 27th October. Once it has been published I will send a copy of this to you also.
If you cannot open this attachment either please let me know and I will locate an alternative copy
Kind regards
FoI Officer
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Dear East of England Ambulance Service
Sorry but I still can't view the figures.
It really would be a lot easier and quicker if you can simply put down what the promised figures were and what the actual figures were.
I would also like the September figures as they should now be available.
Yours sincerely,
J Lowe
Dear J Lowe
Thank you for your email.
Please find attached an Excel spreadsheet without macros, this contains the performance and trajectory information published on our website.
Kind regards
FoI Officer
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Dear East of England Ambulance Service
I still had a bit of trouble viewing the figures but eventually managed to do it.
The following are the approximate figures for comparison from April 2013 to Sept 2013 for Red 1 and 2 calls and for the same months in 2014.
Red 1 calls
Apr 2013 76% Apr 2014 68.5%
May 2103 79.5% May 2014 66%
Jun 2013 72.5% Jun 2014 65.5%
Jul 2013 72% Jul 2014 66%
Aug 2013 74.5% Aug 2014 69%
Sep 2013 75% Sep 2014 71.1%
Red 2 calls
Apr 2013 72.5% Apr 2014 66%
May 2103 74% May 2014 65.5%
Jun 2013 72% Jun 2014 65.5%
Jul 2013 69.5% Jul 2014 64.5%
Aug 2013 73.5% Aug 2014 66%
Sep 2013 70% Sep 2014 62.5%
The press and public have been told multiple times ever since Dr Marsh took over in January 2014 how your Trust has bought 147 new ambulances and ordered over a 100 more on top of that. How hundreds of student paramedics have been recruited and how £10million pounds of savings have been ploughed back into front-line services and how the commissioners have given an extra £16million to improve response times.
For every single month since Dr Marsh took over on a part time basis, performance has been woefully below that under the previous regime that was criticised so strongly and by so many people.
As Red 1 & 2 calls are to the most seriously ill patients I am sure many will be struggling to believe all the continual "spin" put out by your Trust.
Yours sincerely,
J Lowe
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