Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of ambulance response times in rural constituencies such as West Dorset.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
West Dorset is served by the South West Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT). As West Dorset is not a reporting geography for ambulance performance, response times are monitored through SWASFT and NHS Dorset performance arrangements. Ambulance services are monitored through NHS England's Ambulance Quality Indicator framework and associated performance oversight processes. Published ambulance performance data for SWASFT is available at the following link:
NHS England and NHS Dorset support SWASFT through a range of national, regional, and local improvement arrangements to improve urgent and emergency care pathways, reduce delays in transferring patients from ambulances into hospital care, and improve ambulance availability.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support ambulance services in West Dorset.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
West Dorset is served by the South West Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT). As West Dorset is not a reporting geography for ambulance performance, response times are monitored through SWASFT and NHS Dorset performance arrangements. Ambulance services are monitored through NHS England's Ambulance Quality Indicator framework and associated performance oversight processes. Published ambulance performance data for SWASFT is available at the following link:
NHS England and NHS Dorset support SWASFT through a range of national, regional, and local improvement arrangements to improve urgent and emergency care pathways, reduce delays in transferring patients from ambulances into hospital care, and improve ambulance availability.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislative safeguards to protect hospital helipads from closure.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Hospital helipads play an important role in supporting the transfer of critically ill patients and access to specialist services. Responsibility for the provision and management of hospital helipads rests with local National Health Service organisations, working with relevant planning, aviation, and local authority bodies.
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that hospital helipad facilities remain safe and operational. Existing planning and aviation guidance already includes mechanisms to safeguard helicopter landing sites from developments that could adversely affect their operation.
The Department continues to work with NHS England, the Civil Aviation Authority, and other partners to consider issues relating to hospital helipad access and resilience. While there are currently no plans to introduce specific legislative safeguards to protect hospital helipads from closure, the Government will keep this position under review in light of emerging evidence and operational requirements.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that hospital helipads are protected from (a) planning and (b) operational restrictions.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Hospital helicopter landing sites are an important part of the urgent and emergency care system, supporting the transfer of critically ill patients to specialist services.
In relation to planning restrictions, responsibility for local planning decisions rests with the relevant planning authority. Existing Civil Aviation Authority guidance includes provisions on safeguarding hospital helicopter landing sites and managing obstacles or developments that could affect their safe operation. National Health Service organisations are expected to work with planning and aviation authorities where development proposals may affect helicopter access.
In relation to operational restrictions, NHS England is working with trusts, accountable managers, and aviation partners to strengthen assurance arrangements for hospital helicopter landing sites. This includes oversight of local risk assessments, operational procedures, and compliance with relevant Civil Aviation Authority guidance.
The Government and NHS England continue to engage with partners across the healthcare and aviation sectors to support safe and reliable helicopter access for patients requiring urgent specialist care.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether funding is available to upgrade hospital helipads to enable night-time operation.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold centrally validated data on the number or proportion of major trauma hospitals in England that operate 24-hour hospital helicopter landing sites. Responsibility for the provision and operation of hospital helicopter landing sites rests with individual National Health Service organisations.
There is no specific national funding programme dedicated to upgrading hospital helicopter landing sites for night-time operation.
Decisions on investment in hospital helicopter landing sites, including any upgrades required to support night-time operations, are primarily a matter for local NHS organisations. Organisations may consider such improvements as part of their wider estate planning and capital investment priorities, subject to the availability of funding and any relevant local planning, environmental, and operational requirements.