Recent statistics released by the Lead NHS Commissioners reveal the East of England Ambulance Service is having a tough time.
In the week ending January 1, 2017, in its area of operations, 206 equivalent 12-hour double staffed ambulance shifts (DSAs) were lost due to handover delays; 43 equivalent 12-hour DSA shifts were lost due to clear delays; 28pc of patient journeys (where recorded) were handed over in 15 minutes; 51pc of patient journeys recorded were cleared in 15 minutes; 72pc of all ambulance turnarounds took longer than 30 minutes; 982 handovers, where recorded, took longer than 60 minutes and 28 clears, where recorded, took longer than 60 minutes.
The Norfolk and Norwich Hospital A&E department dealt with 1,000 transports, the highest number in the EEAST region.
The blame for this sad state of affairs rests with the government for not adequately funding our National Health Service, not those struggling to deliver it.
David Russell, Orchard Close, Roughton.
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