North East Ambulance Service

Alex Cunningham Excerpts
Monday 23rd May 2022

(1 year, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Maria Caulfield Portrait Maria Caulfield
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I hear my right hon. Friend’s concerns. I am happy to look at his concerns for his own particular ambulance service and discuss them further.

Alex Cunningham Portrait Alex Cunningham (Stockton North) (Lab)
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The Government have again failed the north-east. The failures of the North East Ambulance Service could fill a book and there is no doubt that there cannot be a north-east MP who has not had complaints about poor response times and lack of care. It is also evident that NEAS is now highly reliant on crews from other organisations, something I was told years ago would be phased out of the service as it grew its own paramedics. The latest revelations show the service is far from fit for purpose and we can no longer sit back. Will the Minister order not just an inquiry but a root and branch review of NEAS and get it sorted?

Maria Caulfield Portrait Maria Caulfield
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In my role as patient safety Minister, I am happy to look at any patient safety concerns. The Minister for Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Charnwood (Edward Argar), who is responsible for ambulances, has heard the hon. Member’s request.