Graham with Community First Responders in South Holderness
According to the MP for Beverley and Holderness, Graham Stuart, ambulance response times in Mid Holderness are sub-standard and patient care is being put at risk. He held an urgent meeting in Beverley with the Chief Executive of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, David Whiting, to voice his concerns.
“I called the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Chief Executive, David Whiting, to a meeting with me because I was shocked to discover that less than half of emergency calls in Mid Holderness get a response within eight minutes. I have asked the Yorkshire Ambulance Service to provide me with regular updates on performance so that I can monitor it and make sure we start to see the improvement we need.
“Rural areas can never expect consistently to have the same ambulance response times as cities but we can do better than this.
“Mr Whiting and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service are listening and are determined to keep improving their performance. Success will be all the more likely if there is a partnership between local communities and YAS to develop better coverage of volunteer First Responder teams to supplement the work of the full-time professionals.
“I recently met First Responder teams from Withernsea, Roos and Keyingham who make a huge difference and do a great job. But I’d like to see coverage of all our rural parishes so that everyone with an emergency need is given the best possible chance of survival through prompt care. Further to my meeting with Mr Whiting I have written to him asking him to increase the number of First Responder trainers and ensure that we can expand the programme to provide the best possible care.”
