Member of the Senedd for Monmouth, Peter Fox, has queried how the new changes to Ambulance performance metrics will be comparable.
It has recently been announced that a new performance framework for the Welsh Ambulance Service will be piloted from July 2025, that will see the creation of a new Purple Arrest and Red Emergency categories, signalling the move away from response times to a focus on patient outcomes.
Whilst welcoming any steps to improve care and outcomes for patients, Mr Fox has expressed concern about the new metrics, and has queried if they will be comparable to England or another body, raising concerns that if not, then there would be no way for it to be accountable.
Local MS for Monmouth, Peter Fox, has said:
“The new system, which will create additional categories look good on paper due to their aim of wanting to be ‘outcome focused’, but I do have some concerns about how it will be compared to other countries or services, as they will not have the same categories as Wales.
“If you are unable to do this, how can you possibly measure your performance. It cannot be the case that if your existing targets in one category are not being met, which is the case here in Wales, that you create additional categories.
“We have recently seen the Welsh Labour Government fail to bring down the two year waiting times in Wales, not meeting their target again, so they are quite rightly under close scrutiny on all health statistics.
“The Welsh Government must ensure there is some way to measure their new performance of these changes against England, other services or countries, or develop their own system of comparison that can be accountable.
“I welcome any changes that will improve the outcome for our patients in Wales, but the proof will certainly be in the pudding. All too often we see the Welsh Labour Government trying to improve things, but fundamentally they end up making things worse.”
