In response to an FOI from the Press Association, SCAS issued the following response:
“Private providers support SCAS to be able to deliver a high-quality, responsive emergency 999 service. SCAS is one of the best performing ambulance trusts in England when measured against national performance indicators under the Ambulance Response Programme, as well as being a leading Trust in clinical outcomes for patients suffering cardiac arrest, stroke, major trauma and other life-threatening injuries and illnesses. The Trust has a highly accurate demand planning model that ensures we have the correct level of resources to meet predicted patient demand.
Private providers ensure that despite vacancies in our frontline workforce (due to a national shortage of paramedics and exacerbated in our region by operating in a high-cost living area and the need to maintain salary levels that are agreed at a national level) we can ensure that the expected level of demand for our 999 service can be met. Private providers give SCAS the flexibility to align our resources consistently within 3% of actual demand and help deliver our high levels of performance.
Furthermore, SCAS recently became the first ambulance service to roll out an ePR system to all its private provider partners so that every patient in our region receives the exact same high-quality care and experience whether they are treated by a SCAS crew or one from one of our private providers.”
Ends