Ambulance services are facing the sort of pressures normally expected in winter, a health minister has said as the country is gripped by a heatwave. Maria Caulfield told the Commons “it’s extremely concerning for the months ahead,” adding she would be “meeting all 11 ambulance trusts over the coming days to make sure they have the capacity and resilience they need”.
The Met Office has issued warnings for ‘extreme heat’ as temperatures in Greater Manchester are expected to reach more than 30C next week, with a sweltering 35C expected elsewhere in the South of England. Caulfield insisted the Government is “making sure that all NHS trusts are prepared” for the hot weather.
Answering an urgent question from Labour about ambulance services and the declaration of a national heatwave emergency, she added there are extra ambulance services with a total value of £30 million on standby to provide support to the ambulance response across the country if needed. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting blamed 12 years of Conservative underfunding for leaving the emergency services “unable to cope” with the further pressure caused by the “extreme weather.”
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Responding to a question from Labour’s Steve McCabe (Birmingham, Selly Oak) about the situation, Ms Caulfield said: “These are the sort of pressures we would normally expect to see in winter and we’re seeing them in the summer months.” She added “it’s extremely concerning for the months ahead as we head into winter.
The health minister said she has set out a heatwave plan for England, published earlier this year, adding: “We are making sure that all NHS trusts are prepared.” She insisted her planned meeting with ambulance trusts will also ensure their services are prepared for the inevitable winter pressures.
Streeting described Health Secretary Steve Barclay for not being present in the Commons as a “disgrace,” adding: “The Home Secretary wasn’t at the Home Affairs Select Committee this morning, he’s not here this afternoon, this isn’t even a Government in office, let alone in power. Every ambulance service is now on the highest level of alert, so what is the Secretary of State doing about it?
“This is a crisis across the health service. Last month, a crew in the West Midlands waited 26 hours outside A&E because there weren’t the clinical staff to hand over to.
“What is the Government doing to provide additional support to A&Es during this heatwave?”
Caulfield acknowledged the the service is facing rising pressures, but responded: “The latest figures from the NHS in England show ambulance service response time performance has improved month on month. The ambulance hours lost is also improving month on month as well.”
On Wednesday the Met Office extended its amber warning for extreme heat in England and Wales. The alert had initially been issued for Sunday and Monday but has now been widened to include Tuesday July 19.
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