SERIOUS concern has been voiced over local ambulance response times for critically ill patients.
According to figures from the Scottish Ambulance Service’s latest weekly operational data, ‘purple category’ patients – those identified as having a ten per cent or more chance of having a cardiac arrest – are having to wait longer for an ambulance in Dumfries and Galloway than other parts of Scotland.
Figures show that average response time for patients in the region at the end of August was 19.31 minutes, whereas in Ayrshire and Arran the average wait time for an ambulance was 14.38 minutes and in Lanarkshire the average wait time was 13.15 minutes.
The only regions that had longer wait times than Dumfries and Galloway were the Highlands where patients waited on average 23.54 minutes and Tayside with an average response time of 19.26 minutes.
Galloway and West MSP Finlay Carson has described the situation as ‘worrying’, commenting: “It is worrying that patients who are in many cases fighting for their lives are having to wait longer for an ambulance to arrive.
“The truth of the matter is that this NHS crisis is putting lives at risk, and that is not acceptable.”
Mr Carson added that he is to meet local ambulance personnel to hear about the problems they are often facing on a daily basis in dealing with emergencies.
He added: “I know how hard they are working to get patients to hospital as quickly as possible, this crisis is not of their making.”
