North East ambulance response times debated in Parliament
Latest figures show the North East Ambulance Service are struggling to make their national targets.
Paramedics in the North East say they're being stretched to breaking point trying to meet government targets.
Response times for the North East Ambulance Service are being discussed in Parliament today, after a group of MPs raised their concerns about patient care.
Between March 2015 and February 2016, the service reached 69% of the highest priority calls, missing the government target of 75%.
It's the second year in a row they've failed to meet the target.
However, only two services in England managed to hit the target and North East paramedics say cuts and over-stretched staff are to blame.
Joel Byers is a union rep at the North East Ambulance service and says staff are frequently taking on extra shifts to cover staff shortages.
He said: "The level of care when our staff get to the patients excellent, it's second-to-none. The problem is not having enough staff.
"Unless you're actually on the front line, seeing the effect these cuts are having to the ambulance trust and everyone working to try and make it work.
"But you can't put a pint in a half-pint pot.
"Every patient we see is important to us. I think they have the right to a better response and we're not able to do that at the moment.
"We should be funded more and we should be treated like an emergency service."
Sharon Hodgson, MP for Washington and Sunderland West, will lead the debate today. She said: “This debate was secured on behalf of Northern Groups of MPs who after dealing with many constituent cases and reading even more reports in local press over the last few years, which have raised concerns with the service provided by North East Ambulance Service. “Our paramedics do an amazing job, day in, day out, yet these continuous failures over the last few years, have meant that local Members of Parliament feel we need to be having a debate that holds the Government to account, on waiting times, workforce retention and recruitment and the pressures put on the NHS, both circumstantial and those following the top-down reorganisation of the NHS. “Health ministers are ultimately responsible for the services patients access from the NHS, and therefore, it is only right that these concerns are raised directly with them to ensure action is taken to help North East Ambulance Service address these short-comings seen within our region. “We all rely upon the NHS and it is important that any concerns are raised directly with the Government on any aspect of the services provided. That’s why I hope that following this debate, the minister will be able to go away and work collaboratively with the North East Ambulance Service Trust, and local Members of Parliament so that our constituents receive the best possible service.”
The debate is due to be held in Westminster Hall at 14:30.