Eastbourne ambulance response times increase
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Liberal Democrat councillor Josh Babarinde said freedom of information requests from the group found that Eastbourne, Hastings and Worthing have seen a rise in waiting times of more than a fifth for category one incidents – the most serious type of call-out.
The councillor explained that Eastbourne, Hastings, and Brighton and Hove saw the biggest rises in category two response times with average waits going up 76.8 per cent, 81.6 per cent and 89 per cent respectively.
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Hide AdSouth East Coast Ambulance Service said all ambulance services continue to face pressure and are not achieving their expected response times. It added that it was aware there remains a lot to do in terms of improving response times but it is worth noting the service remains ahead of the national average for the two highest categories of 999 calls and has the current shortest response times nationally for category two calls – where more than 60 per cent of 999 calls fall. A spokesperson clarified that this excludes the Isle of Wight – which is not comparable as it receives fewer calls.
A spokesperson from the service said: “As we continue to face high demand, we know that some patients are waiting longer than they should for a response. We are very sorry and we are doing everything we can to reach those who need assistance as quickly as possible, while prioritising our response to our most seriously ill and injured patients.
“We would like to thank our staff and volunteers for their hard work and commitment and we continue to work closely with hospitals across our region to minimise handover delays to ensure we are as best placed as possible to attend patients in the community requiring an ambulance response.
“The public can help us manage demand by only calling 999 in an emergency. We also urge everyone to make use of alternatives for help and advice including visiting NHS 111 online at 111.nhs.uk or by calling 111.”