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| Ambulance 'crisis' findings due | Ambulance 'crisis' findings due |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The results of an official inquiry into the state of the Welsh Ambulance Service are due to be revealed later. | The results of an official inquiry into the state of the Welsh Ambulance Service are due to be revealed later. |
| It follows a period that has seen ambulance response times worsen and three different chief executives in charge in as many months. | It follows a period that has seen ambulance response times worsen and three different chief executives in charge in as many months. |
| Auditor General Jeremy Colman was asked to investigate the ambulance service in June, shortly after the departure of then chief executive Roger Thayne. | Auditor General Jeremy Colman was asked to investigate the ambulance service in June, shortly after the departure of then chief executive Roger Thayne. |
| The service has since returned its worst response time figures since 2003. | The service has since returned its worst response time figures since 2003. |
| The Welsh Ambulance Service has gone through a period of instability, which began in May when chief executive Roger Thayne left, claiming the service was in "crisis" and needed millions of pounds of investment. | The Welsh Ambulance Service has gone through a period of instability, which began in May when chief executive Roger Thayne left, claiming the service was in "crisis" and needed millions of pounds of investment. |
| I don't think they, the public, appreciate how few ambulances there are on the road at any one time Swansea paramedic Huw James | |
| He resigned after being asked to make savings and warned lives were being lost because of failures. | He resigned after being asked to make savings and warned lives were being lost because of failures. |
| Shortly after his resignation, assembly members voted in favour of holding an inquiry into the service. | Shortly after his resignation, assembly members voted in favour of holding an inquiry into the service. |
| Mr Thayne's successor, Anton van Dellen, then resigned as interim chief executive in July, saying he was unable to commit long-term to the role. | Mr Thayne's successor, Anton van Dellen, then resigned as interim chief executive in July, saying he was unable to commit long-term to the role. |
| Alan Murray was announced as the new permanent chief executive in August, but the service has since returned worsening figures for emergency response times. | Alan Murray was announced as the new permanent chief executive in August, but the service has since returned worsening figures for emergency response times. |
| Alan Murray has been chief executive since August | Alan Murray has been chief executive since August |
| Last week, NHS statistics revealed that between July and September, just 54% of ambulances had reached an eight-minute target to respond to the most serious cases. | Last week, NHS statistics revealed that between July and September, just 54% of ambulances had reached an eight-minute target to respond to the most serious cases. |
| The figure was a fall from 57% recorded in the previous quarter and well below the assembly government's 60% target. | The figure was a fall from 57% recorded in the previous quarter and well below the assembly government's 60% target. |
| The auditor general's report, published on Monday, will attempt to provide answers to some of the problems experienced by the ambulance service. | The auditor general's report, published on Monday, will attempt to provide answers to some of the problems experienced by the ambulance service. |
| Paramedic Huw James, based in Swansea, said ambulance crews would "like to know what is going on". | |
| He said: "I don't think they, the public, appreciate how few ambulances there are on the road at any one time. | |
| They (paramedics) are really sick to the back teeth of being looked at a second-class service. Jonathan Morgan AM | |
| "I think a lot of people think they dial 999 and we're parked on the roadway. They don't appreciate we sometimes we've come from out of the area. | |
| "People are anxious because they've got ill family and they want us there, like, yesterday. We turn up and it's a 'where-have-you-been?' scenario." | |
| Conservative health spokesman Jonathan Morgan AM said it was important the ambulance service had "sustained leadership". | |
| He said: "It's not good just having a decent chief executive. We've got a very decent chief executive, I think Alan Murray is a superb individual with a great track record. | |
| "But we need to ensure that the board of the ambulance service, those other directors, are there to support him. | |
| He added that more account needed to be taken of the staff in the ambulance service. | |
| He said: "They are really sick to the back teeth of being looked at a second-class service. | |
| "They don't provide a second-class service, it's just the arrangements and circumstances within which they work. When they get to patients they provide a first-class service and I think we need to recognise that." | |
| Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Jenny Randerson said she hoped the report would be "detailed and in-depth". | Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Jenny Randerson said she hoped the report would be "detailed and in-depth". |
| She said: "That way it will be a good foundation for the modernisation plan which the ambulance trust is putting in place at the moment. | She said: "That way it will be a good foundation for the modernisation plan which the ambulance trust is putting in place at the moment. |