Jonathan Ashworth responds to Government’s new ambulance service standards announcement

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s Shadow Health
Secretary, commenting on the
Government’s announcement of new ambulance service standards, said:

“This Government have failed to hit any of their
main NHS ambulance targets since May 2015 and an updated system that truly
works for patients is clearly overdue. NHS ambulance trusts must now be given
every support to build a new system which has the support of paramedics and
patients alike.

“The truth is that the Tories’ underfunding and
mismanagement of the NHS has pushed ambulance services to the brink and left
record numbers of patients suffering and in discomfort. The public will want to
know that a new series of standards is truly based on the best clinical
evidence and not just on the money which the Government are making available.

“Sir Bruce Keogh has shown great leadership in
demanding the best for NHS patients. The Government must now match these
ambitions and give ambulance trusts the support and resources they need to
deliver the best possible quality of care for ill and injured patients.”