Written question WQ95357

The latest published performance data for November show the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board region reported the best ‘red’ emergency life-threatening ambulance response time performance in Wales.

However, I remain concerned about the level of ambulance patient handover delays reported at sites in the health board area, and the impact this has on ambulance response times to all patients.

We have been clear with the health board about our expectation for improvement in the timeliness of ambulance patient handovers to ensure crews are released to respond to other 999 calls in the community. Reducing these delays is a key priority as set out in our NHS Wales Planning Framework, and features as part of LHB Chairs’ objectives.

On 29 October 2024, we published new Ambulance patient handover guidance. It is intended to set a statement of intent for health boards to deliver when managing the ambulance patient handover process, and set out key actions for consistent delivery to support optimal outcomes and experience.

The NHS Executive will undertake audits of organisations’ compliance with the guidance over the remainder of 2024/2025.

More broadly, a whole system effort is required to secure the necessary improvement. All health boards have six goals for urgent and emergency care programme plans in place, each supported by £2.7m in additional Welsh Government funding. And successful delivery of these plans should support improvements across a range of measures, including the reduction of ambulance patient handover delays contributing to improved ambulance responsiveness.

Further, the health board and Gwent regional partnership board has plans for what is proving to be a challenging winter period to enable delivery of resilient services as far as is possible.

These plans are supplemented by the ‘50-day integrated care winter challenge’ which is intended to accelerate delivery often best practice initiatives. The region has received additional Welsh Government funding to deliver the initiatives and our expectation is that these will demonstrably improve patient flow through safely reducing admissions and improving discharge practice. This should in turn improve ambulance patient handover performance and, as a consequence, ambulance responsiveness.

We continue to monitor progress closely.