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6 January 2011
Last updated at 01:38 ET
Staff and budget pressures on Wales' ambulance service need to be addressed if it is to cope with a challenging winter, it is claimed.
Welsh Conservatives have spoken out after the ambulance service missed the 65% target for eight-minute emergency response times in November.
The Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST) blamed poor weather for missing the target.
The assembly government said it met the target nine out of 11 months in 2010.
Official statistics published by the assembly government show 64.7% of first responses to immediately life-threatening calls arrived within eight minutes, the accepted standard, during November last year.
This represents the lowest such performance figure since January last year.
During November, Wales' ambulance service received just over 29,000 emergency calls, up 7.9% compared with the previous November.
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Nick Ramsay AM, Welsh Tory minister for health and social services, said: "It is disappointing that despite the hard work and dedication of ambulance staff, emergency response times are not being met."
He called on Welsh health minister Edwina Hart to "work more effectively" with trust bosses and local health boards to ensure that the NHS responded to the emergency calls of patients more efficiently.
"The Labour-Plaid Government needs to address staffing and budgetary pressures in what is increasingly becoming a challenging winter for Wales' emergency services," he said.
The figures showed 70.4% of first responses to immediately life-threatening calls arrived within nine minutes, and 75.1% within 10 minutes.
Some 90.9% of immediately life-threatening calls and 78.8% of all other emergency calls resulted in an ambulance arriving at the scene within the target times.
'Adverse weather' A WAST spokesman said: "The trust was achieving the assembly government standards until the adverse weather conditions in late November.
"We saw a significant rise in weather-related calls. From November 26 until the end of the month, ambulance crews dealt with 784 fall incidents across Wales.
"After this, due to access problems and reduced driving speeds, the eight-minute response time standard was difficult to achieve."
However, the spokesman added that thanks to joint planning with other emergency services and voluntary organisations, the trust was able to provide continuity of emergency and essential services.
"Particular thanks go to our staff who overcame considerable difficulties to get to work to ensure that ambulance services were provided," he said.
The Welsh Assembly Government said the Welsh ambulance service had met the response time target nine out of 11 months in 2010.
"This is as a direct result of the hard work and commitment of the trust's staff who have worked with great dedication," said a spokesperson.
"However, they have fallen slightly short of the target in November.
"The trust board and executive management team now needs to show very strong and visible leadership within the organisation and demonstrate that it is totally committed to sustaining the target across Wales."
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Welsh Conservatives have spoken out after the ambulance service missed the 65% target for eight-minute emergency response times in November.
The Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST) blamed poor weather for missing the target.
The assembly government said it met the target nine out of 11 months in 2010.
Official statistics published by the assembly government show 64.7% of first responses to immediately life-threatening calls arrived within eight minutes, the accepted standard, during November last year.
This represents the lowest such performance figure since January last year.
During November, Wales' ambulance service received just over 29,000 emergency calls, up 7.9% compared with the previous November.
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
The trust was achieving the assembly government standards until the adverse weather conditions in late November”
End Quote
Welsh Ambulance Service Trust
Nick Ramsay AM, Welsh Tory minister for health and social services, said: "It is disappointing that despite the hard work and dedication of ambulance staff, emergency response times are not being met."
He called on Welsh health minister Edwina Hart to "work more effectively" with trust bosses and local health boards to ensure that the NHS responded to the emergency calls of patients more efficiently.
"The Labour-Plaid Government needs to address staffing and budgetary pressures in what is increasingly becoming a challenging winter for Wales' emergency services," he said.
The figures showed 70.4% of first responses to immediately life-threatening calls arrived within nine minutes, and 75.1% within 10 minutes.
Some 90.9% of immediately life-threatening calls and 78.8% of all other emergency calls resulted in an ambulance arriving at the scene within the target times.
'Adverse weather' A WAST spokesman said: "The trust was achieving the assembly government standards until the adverse weather conditions in late November.
"We saw a significant rise in weather-related calls. From November 26 until the end of the month, ambulance crews dealt with 784 fall incidents across Wales.
"After this, due to access problems and reduced driving speeds, the eight-minute response time standard was difficult to achieve."
However, the spokesman added that thanks to joint planning with other emergency services and voluntary organisations, the trust was able to provide continuity of emergency and essential services.
"Particular thanks go to our staff who overcame considerable difficulties to get to work to ensure that ambulance services were provided," he said.
The Welsh Assembly Government said the Welsh ambulance service had met the response time target nine out of 11 months in 2010.
"This is as a direct result of the hard work and commitment of the trust's staff who have worked with great dedication," said a spokesperson.
"However, they have fallen slightly short of the target in November.
"The trust board and executive management team now needs to show very strong and visible leadership within the organisation and demonstrate that it is totally committed to sustaining the target across Wales."
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