Ambulance delays in Surrey
Heart attack victims in some parts of Surrey are waiting on average over 30 minutes for help.
Potential heart attack and stroke victims in some parts of Surrey are waiting on average over 30 minutes for an ambulance to arrive, shocking new figures have revealed. Residents in Waverley who experience a serious medical episode are having to wait on average 33:32 minutes for help to arrive.
The data was obtained through a Freedom of Information request by the Liberal Democrats, who are calling for urgent action to tackle local ambulance delays.
The figures show that the NHS target of 18 minutes for Category 2 ambulance calls, which covers urgent incidents like strokes and potential heart attacks, is being badly missed by all areas in Surrey including Reigate & Banstead where there is the shortest average wait time of 23:39 minutes.
Ambulance delays have also significantly worsened in recent years, with the average response time increasing in the area with the worst performing service, Waverley by 12.12% for Category 2 calls since 2019.
The average response time for Category 1 calls, which are the most urgent and life-threatening, was also up against 2019 figures against the target of 7 minutes with average wait times again amongst the longest in Waverley (11:06 mins).
The Liberal Democrats have a five point plan to support local ambulance services, which would see a paramedic recruitment campaign and improvements in social care to reduce pressures on hospital beds.
Will Forster, Leader of Surrey Lib Dems said:
"Behind these figures are devastating stories of pensioners left stranded for hours, or families in Surrey watching a loved one die before a paramedic could reach them.
"Paramedics on the frontline do an incredible job day in day out, looking after people in their time of need. But our overstretched local NHS services are collapsing under the strain of years of neglect under this Conservative government.
Paul Follows, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for South-West Surrey which covers Waverley commented: "It is shocking to see that the service in Waverley not just lags behind other parts of Surrey but that wait times far exceed the national target. The Liberal Democrats have provided a clear plan to tackle these unacceptable delays and make sure ambulances reach people on time in an emergency. That means addressing workforce shortages, fixing the social care crisis and ending the shortage of hospital beds, all of which are leaving patients in ambulances stuck outside A&E for hours."