Ambulance Trusts
HSJ Local reports on most NHS commissioning and provider organisations. It examines them in five categories: performance, finance, change in structure, workforce and commercial activity
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Latest ambulance trust news
East of England fails ambulance response target
PERFORMANCE: East of England Ambulance Service Trust narrowly missed the 19 minutes ambulance response target in 2011-12 but met the target for an emergency response within eight minutes.
Helpdesk directs 850 patients each week
SERVICES: Around 850 patients a week are now being directed to local healthcare services or given advice by the East of England Ambulance Service Trust’s clinical support desk.
London Ambulance chief leaving for New Zealand
WORKFORCE: London Ambulance Service chief executive Peter Bradley has announced he is leaving the post to take up a role in New Zealand.
South West Ambulance FT seeks opportunities in Hampshire
COMMERCIAL: South West Ambulance Service Foundation Trust is exploring the possibility of running out of hours services in Hampshire.
CCP to investigate ambulance merger
STRUCTURE: The Co-operation and Competition panel has begun its consideration of the proposed merger between South West Ambulance Service Foundation Trust and Great Western Ambulance Service.
South Western Ambulance reports "significant" activity increases
PERFORMANCE: South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust has warned Monitor it may not achieve the A8 target during the final quarter of 2011-12.
Franchise option was considered for GWAS
STRUCTURE: NHS South West considered franchising out Great Western Ambulance Service after it became apparent the organisation would not achieve foundation trust status.
South Western Ambulance Service fears it will not win NHS 111 contracts
COMMERCIAL: South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust has highlighted a “serious” risk to its core services if it fails to win contracts to provide NHS 111 in the south west.
Inconsistencies found between ambulance and trust handover reporting
PERFORMANCE: A report to the north central London cluster of PCTs said the number of reported delays of more than a hour in ambulance handovers to acute trusts was inconsistent between the London Ambulance Service and hospitals.
Only one out of six bidders for 111 service met criteria
PERFORMANCE: Only one out of six bidders to provide a 111 call handling service and improved medical out-of-hours services for Norfolk met all the criteria.
Ambulance service adopts TETRA Messenger for first responders
COMMERCIAL: The ambulance trust has become the first service in the country to purchase voice and data firm Airwave’s TETRA Messenger devices for its community first response teams, the firm reported today.
EoE ambulance trust behind on CIP plan
FINANCE: Cost improvement plans at East of England Ambulance Services Trust were more than £2m behind schedule at the end of month 10.
EoE ambulance performance hit by hospital delays
PERFORMANCE: Delays at hospital are causing East of England Ambulance Service Trust to miss performance targets.
Ambulance trust FT application at risk
STRUCTURE: The East of England Ambulance Service could have to withdraw its application to become a foundation trust if it fails to meet a key performance target for this quarter.
Ambulance trust signs up to green scheme
FINANCE: The East of England Ambulance Service Trust has signed up to an ambitious carbon reduction plan which commits it to reducing emissions by 30 per cent by March 2016.
London hospitals make plans for the Olympics
PERFORMANCE: Hospitals in London are considering reorganising surgery timetables, changing shift patterns and moving delivery times to accommodate the Olympics this summer.
South Central Ambulance achieves FT status
STRUCTURE: South Central Ambulance Service achieved foundation status on 1 March.
GWAS performance falls
PERFORMANCE: There were no areas of “good or improved performance” to note at Great Western Ambulance Service during December, a report to the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Board said.
‘High level’ risk to NWAS if funding for investment plan not renewed
FINANCE: The trust has added a new “high level” risk to its risk register, warning of the impact if the service does not receive recurrent funding for its investment plan in the coming financial year.
North Middlesex University Hospital reports A&E problems in December
PERFORMANCE: An increase in emergency cases delivered by ambulance is thought to be one of the reasons for NMUH missing the A&E target for December.
Exclusive: London lost over 70 emergency calls after clocks went back
PERFORMANCE: London Ambulance Service Trust lost dozens of 999 calls after an IT problem caused by the switch from British Summer Time, it has been revealed.
EMAS challenges PTS procurement process
COMMERCIAL: East Midlands Ambulance Service has challenged the procurement process behind the award of contracts for patient transport services after it lost out on all of the contracts in the region.
Safety award for South Central Ambulance
PERFORMANCE: The South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust has been voted Fleet Safety Champion of the Year for the public sector.
Exclusive: hundreds waited hours for ambulances after software failure
PERFORMANCE: Hundreds of patients waited hours for ambulances in London when call handlers were forced to rely on pen and paper for 15 hours during a software failure, a report seen by HSJ has revealed.
Hospital handover delays rise in south central area
PERFORMANCE: The South Central Ambulance Trust has reported delays in handovers between ambulance and hospital services, with the delay times multiplying by a factor of five in some parts of its patch.
South Central Ambulance reports equipment failure SUIs
PERFORMANCE: The South Central Ambulance NHS Trust has reported a series of serious untoward incidents involving equipment failure, including ambulance doors not opening.
FT date for South Central Ambulance slips till March
STRUCTURE: The expected date for authorising the South Central Ambulance trust as a foundation trust has slipped by a month to March 2012.
Great Western looks to NHS 111 opportunity
COMMERCIAL: Great Western Ambulance Service has expressed an interest in providing the NHS 111 service in the South West.
South Western Ambulance fails target in Somerset
PERFORMANCE: South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust is reaching fewer life threatening calls within the eight minute target in Somerset than any of the other four counties it covers.
South Central Ambulance reports £1.8m surplus
FINANCE: South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust finished September with a £1.8m surplus - £160,000 off target.
South Central sees ambulance demand increase
PERFORMANCE: Demand for ambulance services in the South Central region is rising in 2011-12 on the previous year.
South Central Ambulance improves on response times
PERFORMANCE: The South Central Ambulance Service improved against performance targets in all but one of its primary care trust areas during August.
Dorset waiting for news on Olympic funding
FINANCE: Preparations for healthcare provision during the London 2012 Olympic sailing events in Dorset are at “serious” risk due to a lack of identified funding.
North East Ambulance Service becomes FT
STRUCTURE: The north east has become the first region in England where all of the NHS organisations are foundation trusts, after North East Ambulance Service was authorised by Monitor.
Newcastle FT consultant made director of cancer network
WORKFORCE: Tony Branson, consultant clinical oncologist at the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has been appointed as medical director of the North of England Cancer Network.
EMAS appoints new chief executive
WORKFORCE: East Midlands Ambulance Service has appointed a former strategic health authority director as its new chief executive.
Ten patients responsible for third of Hillingdon unplanned re-attendance
PERFORMANCE: Hillingdon Hospital Foundation Trust’s figures have been skewed by one patient who has attended 158 times since April 1st 2011 - nearly once a day.
GWAS names FT partner
STRUCTURE: Great Western Ambulance Service has named South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust as its preferred takeover partner.
NW Ambulance Service sees sharp improvement in response times
PERFORMANCE: The trust’s performance against its response target for immediately life threatening “Category A” calls improved dramatically in late summer, its latest performance report shows.
Yorkshire Ambulance to submit for FT status in June
STRUCTURE: Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trust is due to submit its foundation trust application in June 2012.
NHS Norfolk set to launch tender for OOH service
COMMERCIAL: NHS Norfolk has announced it will put its out of hours GP service out to tender later this year.
London Ambulance Service rapped over laptop loss
PERFORMANCE: London Ambulance Service has signed an undertaking with the Information Commissioner’s Office to improve its data security, after breaching the Data Protection Act.
US executive flies in to fix LAS software
PERFORMANCE: The vice president of the US firm providing new software for London Ambulance Service has flown in to lead the second attempt to make it live amid fears it will not be in place before the Olympics.
GWAS looks for partner to make FT status
STRUCTURE: The board of Great Western Ambulance Service has decided it is not viable for the organisation to go it alone as a foundation trust and has announced it will look for a partner.
South East Coast Ambulance Service appoints new chair
WORKFORCE: South East Coast Ambulance Service FT has announced the appointment of Tony Thorne as chair.
London ambulances pelted with missiles and crews threatened in third night of riots
PERFORMANCE: London Ambulance Service staff took 22 people to hospital from the main areas of rioting in London last night, and sustained threats, intimidation, and missiles thrown at their vehicles, the trust reported.
South West Ambulance receives Olympic funding
FINANCE: South West Ambulance Service Foundation Trust has received £120,000 from the Department of Health to help prepare for the Olympic sailing competitions in 2012.
Amber-red rating for North West Ambulance Service’s FT bid
STRUCTURE: The ambulance trust’s bid for foundation status was rated amber-red by NHS North West at the end of June, according to a letter sent by the strategic health authority last month.
London Ambulance Service to submit its foundation trust application in September
STRUCTURE: The capital’s ambulance service plans to apply to NHS London to become a foundation trust in September, according to internal SHA documents.
Lewisham Healthcare and London Ambulance Service told to prove patient safety assurances as they work toward FT status
WORKFORCE: London Ambulance Service and Lewisham Healthcare Trust have been asked to provide more information on workforce issues by NHS London.
NHS Gloucestershire oversees changes following death of a child
PERFORMANCE: NHS Gloucestershire Care Services has introduced changes to protocols for its health visitor, mental health and substance misuse services following the death of a 14-month child.
London trusts fail ambulance handover targets
PERFORMANCE: Ambulance handover times have deteriorated across the capital since the government relaxed accident and emergency targets last year, a report has said.
Giant trust could emerge from London merger plan
STRUCTURE: Two London trusts have asked management consultants to assess their future configuration options, including a potential merger that would create one of the biggest providers in England.
Seventeen South East Coast provider contracts signed off late
COMMERCIAL: A total of 17 providers in the South East Coast strategic health authority area did not have their 2011-12 provider/commissioner contracts signed off at the beginning of the year.
Northampton General sets toughest QIPP plans in region
FINANCE: Northampton General Hospital Trust has the most challenging quality, innovation, productivity and prevention target of any provider in the region, according to its finance plan.
Technology failure sees ambulance service revert to pen and paper
PERFORMANCE: An ambulance service was forced to record details of emergency calls with pen and paper for more than 24 hours after problems installing a new computer system.
South Central Ambulance 'top performing' in England
STRUCTURE: The South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust has been described as the “top performing” ambulance trust in England in its tripartite formal agreement (TFA).
Two women die after Royal Oldham A&E wait
PERFORMANCE: Two women died after they had to be treated in ambulances outside a hospital because its A&E unit was full.
GWAS launches estate review as it looks to run NHS 111
COMMERCIAL: Great Western Ambulance Service has launched a review of its ageing estate in a bid to tackle the £2m maintenance backlog.
Blackburn with Darwen surplus was ahead of plan in January
FINANCE: The care trust plus was reporting a 2010-11 in-year surplus of £1.195m against its NHS commissioning and provider services budgets at the end of January, £23,000 above its planned surplus to that point of the year.
GWAS makes 'excuses' for poor performance
PERFORMANCE: Great Western Ambulance Service has submitted an excusing notice blaming industrial action and bad weather for their failure to achieve targets.
North East Ambulance plans quality governance improvements
STRUCTURE: North East Ambulance Service Trust is improving its quality governance processes as part of preparing for its foundation trust application.
North East Ambulance 'could become FT from August'
STRUCTURE: North East Ambulance Service Trust has made a foundation trust application to Monitor, and says its earliest possible authorisation date is August 2011.
North East Ambulance to press managers on safeguarding training
WORKFORCE: North East Ambulance Service Trust is planning to press managers more firmly on providing safeguarding training to staff this year, after missing its target in 2010-11.
Yorkshire ambulance trust faces 9.6 per cent savings
FINANCE: Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust has anticipated the need for a 9.6 per cent cost improvement programme in 2011-12, ahead of final negotiations with commissioners.
Yorkshire ambulance plan to improve response times
PERFORMANCE: Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trust spent the end of the financial year trying to meet its Category A response time target after a winter dip.
NW Ambulance service recovers response times, but remains unlikely to hit 2010-11 target
PERFORMANCE: The trust’s response times for “Category A” calls improved in January, after they plummeted under major pressures over Christmas and New Year, but it remained unhopeful it could meet its target for the year.
Chelsea and Westminster FT has second best ambulance handover time in London
PERFORMANCE: The central London hospital had an average patient handover time between ambulance and trust of 11.8 minutes at the end of last year.
Kingston consortium demands fair play from PCT cluster
CHANGE IN STRUCTURE: A GP consortium in south-west London has written to its primary care trust cluster chief executive demanding to be “dealt with fairly” and revealing it intends to use the consultancy KPMG for their 2011-12 development plan.
Audit Commission highlights weaknesses at Great Western Ambulance Service
FINANCE: The Audit Commission’s annual audit of Great Western Ambulance Service highlighted two serious weaknesses in reporting.
Weather pushes West Midlands Ambulance Trust below target on response times
PERFORMANCE: Adverse weather conditions have led to West Midlands Ambulance Trust dipping below target on response times.
South Western Ambulance Service wins one and loses one
COMMERCIAL: South Western Ambulance Service is set to take over an out of hours treatment centre from a PCT.
Ambulance turnaround times rise to nearly two hours at Tameside Hospital FT over Christmas
PERFORMANCE: Ambulance turnaround times at the Tameside General Hospital over Christmas and New Year were among the worst in the North West, the ambulance service reported.
North West Ambulance Service battered by 999 calls surge, snow, and slow hospitals
PERFORMANCE: An unprecedented surge of emergency calls over Christmas and New Year has left the trust with huge challenges in meeting its Category A response times target for 2010/11.
East Midlands Ambulance Service failing on three of four targets
PERFORMANCE: East Midlands Ambulance Service is failing on three out of four response time targets.
London ambulance staff are 'at risk' by having to use computer while driving
PERFORMANCE: A major accident has been rated “likely” by the risk managers at the London Ambulance Service because staff working in rapid-response cars “need to read and manually action the Mobile Data Terminal whilst driving at speed through traffic”.
North East ambulance service misses targets under winter pressure
PERFORMANCE: North East Ambulance Service Trust missed the category A eight-minute call to connect target as well as the category B 19-minute call to connect target during December.
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East Midlands
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EMAS challenges PTS procurement process
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EMAS appoints new chief executive
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Chief exec leaves underperforming ambulance trust
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Fine trusts and hospitals more for data breaches, says information chief
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Northampton General sets toughest QIPP plans in region
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East Midlands Ambulance Service failing on three of four targets
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East Midlands Ambulance Service Trust given clean bill of health
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Ambulance trust to put bonuses for top team on hold
East of England
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East of England fails ambulance response target
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Helpdesk directs 850 patients each week
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NHS Direct staff uncertain over future as 111 deals pick up pace
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Only one out of six bidders for 111 service met criteria
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EoE ambulance trust behind on CIP plan
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EoE ambulance performance hit by hospital delays
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Ambulance trust signs up to green scheme
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NHS Norfolk set to launch tender for OOH service
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New ambulance indicators suggest variation in stroke care
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HSE issues ambulance trust warning
Great Western
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South West Ambulance FT seeks opportunities in Hampshire
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CCP to investigate ambulance merger
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Franchise option was considered for GWAS
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GWAS performance falls
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Great Western looks to NHS 111 opportunity
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GWAS names FT partner
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Lansley identifies 20 'unsustainable' trusts
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GWAS looks for partner to make FT status
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NHS Gloucestershire oversees changes following death of a child
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NAO find targets led to a 'skewed' approach
London
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Commissioning board moves to halt NHS director exodus
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London Ambulance chief leaving for New Zealand
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Inconsistencies found between ambulance and trust handover reporting
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London hospitals make plans for the Olympics
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North Middlesex University Hospital reports A&E problems in December
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Exclusive: London lost over 70 emergency calls after clocks went back
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London ambulance service facing new investigation on performance
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Exclusive: hundreds waited hours for ambulances after software failure
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Gay friendly NHS organisations named
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Met police drive demand for ambulances
North East
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Joint working to prevent falls could save cash
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NHS Direct staff uncertain over future as 111 deals pick up pace
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North East Ambulance Service becomes FT
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Newcastle FT consultant made director of cancer network
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NHS 111 halts increase in A&E attendances
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NAO find targets led to a 'skewed' approach
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North East Ambulance plans quality governance improvements
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North East Ambulance 'could become FT from August'
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North East Ambulance to press managers on safeguarding training
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First ambulance trusts achieve FT status
North West
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Ambulance service adopts TETRA Messenger for first responders
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‘High level’ risk to NWAS if funding for investment plan not renewed
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30th annual HSJ Awards winners revealed
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£30m spent on NHS patient taxis - report
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NW Ambulance Service sees sharp improvement in response times
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Manchester and Birmingham hardest hit in fourth night of rioting
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Amber-red rating for North West Ambulance Service’s FT bid
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Two women die after Royal Oldham A&E wait
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Blackburn with Darwen surplus was ahead of plan in January
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Ambulance services eye savings by sending fewer ambulances
South Central
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How to make equality and diversity a central part of your organisation
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South Central Ambulance achieves FT status
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Safety award for South Central Ambulance
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Hospital handover delays rise in south central area
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South Central Ambulance reports equipment failure SUIs
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FT date for South Central Ambulance slips till March
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South Central Ambulance reports £1.8m surplus
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South Central sees ambulance demand increase
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South Central Ambulance improves on response times
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GWAS looks for partner to make FT status
South East Coast
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Surrey backs reforms ahead of public health push
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South East Coast Ambulance Service appoints new chair
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Seventeen South East Coast provider contracts signed off late
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First ambulance trusts achieve FT status
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Row over ambulance staff wage cut claim
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Surge in 999 calls puts ambulance crews under pressure
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Two ambulance trusts get all-clear from Lansley
South Western
West Midlands
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Air ambulance suspension lifted after fault concerns
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Massive Midlands cluster faces a big foundation status challenge
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Eighty trusts call in lawyers over board level exits
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GWAS looks for partner to make FT status
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Manchester and Birmingham hardest hit in fourth night of rioting
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Weather pushes West Midlands Ambulance Trust below target on response times
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Ambulances refitted to transport larger patients
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The health bill in the news
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SOS call made to 4x4 owners over nurses
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Child alcohol admissions up by a third
Yorkshire
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Yorkshire Ambulance begins foundation status consultation
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Yorkshire Ambulance to submit for FT status in June
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Yorkshire ambulance top team reshuffle
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Twenty-two contracts signed off late in Yorkshire and the Humber
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Yorkshire ambulance trust faces 9.6 per cent savings
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Yorkshire ambulance plan to improve response times
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New chief at Yorkshire ambulance service
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Ambulance bosses reject 'lazy' staff claims
