London Ambulance Survey - North East London wide
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Healthwatch Barking & Dagenham, Healthwatch City of London, Healthwatch Hackney, Healthwatch Havering, Healthwatch Newham, Healthwatch Redbridge, Healthwatch Tower Hamlets and Healthwatch Waltham Forest undertook engagement to feed into the London Ambulance Service strategy. They spoke to 262 people.
Over half had used an ambulance in the last 12 months. 54% of those who called an ambulance for physical health symptoms were living with a chronic health issue. 61% of those who called an ambulance for physical health symptoms had received medical treatment for it before. 61% called an ambulance for physical health symptoms.
Most people have a positive view of the London Ambulance service and its staff. They are, however concerned about ambulance waiting times and about the under-resourcing of the service; as well as about the state of the NHS in general.
Those who used ambulance services gave positive feedback on care received from paramedics.
Most patients access the ambulance through calling 999, but a minority came through via 111. Patients who called 111 were more likely to be pregnant, elderly, disabled or living alone.
Patients who reported a reasonable amount of time for an ambulance were only slightly less worried about ambulance waiting times locally than those who waited too long; suggesting worry may be related to general awareness of the current NHS crisis. Average ambulance waiting time was an hour and 21 minutes, with over 60% of patients waiting less than an hour. A small minority, however, report waiting multiple hours.
Ambulance waiting times varied by borough, with shortest in the City of London and longest in Redbridge. Waiting times of under an hour are seen as acceptable by a majority.
Most patients were taken to a hospital after being attended to by paramedics, with only 17% being treated exclusively at home. Patients in the City of London had longer journeys to the hospital. Most patients were comfortable in the ambulance and reported it to be clean and tidy.
Experience of A&E waiting times was mixed; patients at the Royal London Hospital experienced the shortest waits and patients at King George Hospital the longest.
In terms of improving the London Ambulance service, patients approached the issue in the wider context of the NHS. Main ideas coming from patients were around:
- Increasing investment in the LAS, including better pay and conditions for staff.
- Improving waiting times and service responsiveness, including streamlining triage at dispatch Improving handover between ambulance and A&E.
- Improving primary care services and alternative urgent care services for situations which are not life-threatening, to decrease pressure on ambulances.
- Better training for 111/999 dispatchers and ambulance drivers