13 March 2009
By Paul Dicken
The improving performance of the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust has reversed since 2008, the spending watchdog has said.
In an update to the Welsh National Assembly audit committee published on March 6, the Wales Audit Office said that delays in patient handovers and financial pressures had led to a decrease in performance at the service.
‘Performance has dipped significantly across a range of measures since June 2008,’ the WAO said.
These problems included ‘unacceptably long patient handovers’ at accident and emergency departments and delays in putting together business cases and a ‘strategic plan’ to inform investment in the trust.
The WAO also acknowledged that improvements in the wider system of unscheduled health and social care would be beneficial.
Health Minister Edwina Hart said: ‘I am determined to improve the performance of the ambulance service. I know that staff work extremely hard and are doing their best under constant pressure.’
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