NHS ambulance service declared sub-standard

A new report has concluded that the Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS), which is operated by the NHS, is failing to fully meet the needs of those who use it.

According to the annual paper, which was released by the Care Quality Commission, GWAS scored weakly in categories such as cleanliness, waiting times and patient safety for the third year in a row.

However, the trust, which caters for those in Wiltshire, Bristol and part of Gloucestershire, received a fair rating in the areas of financial arrangements and performance.

Chairman of the group Tony Fitzsimons explained that the service has faced tough times over the last year and has now implemented changes for improvement.

“Our focus was on making sustainable changes that would deliver patient benefits over the long term,” he added.

This news comes after statistics published by the National Patient Safety Agency showed that over 5,700 deaths and incidents of serious harm to patients occurred in the NHS from October 2008 to March 2009.