Accident and Emergency

Baroness Burt of Solihull Excerpts

Wednesday 18th December 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I am going to make some progress.

[Lorely Burt (Solihull) (LD)]

rose—

[Mr Hunt]

First, I want to give way to my hon. Friend.

[Lorely Burt]

We have had a very successful campaign in Solihull to restore two-member-crew ambulances being based in the constituency. However, they still face a big problem with admittance to Heartlands hospital to discharge their patients so that they can get out on the road and back to Solihull again. Can the Secretary of State suggest how the ambulance service could work in a joined-up way with hospitals in order to improve flow-through?

[Mr Hunt]

My hon. Friend raises an important point. Again, we would not hear this from the Opposition spokesman, but ambulance services across the country are making great strides. For example, in the past year there has been a 10% increase in the number of patients that ambulance services do not take to A and Es, and an 8% increase in the number of patients that ambulance services and paramedics are able to treat and discharge on the spot. Those kinds of things can make a huge difference.