FINANCE: London Ambulance Service Trust has asked clinical commissioning groups to contribute more than £27m extra funding to help it recruit more staff and buy new vehicles.
This is on top of the amount paid to support activity, which has not yet been agreed because contract negotiations are ongoing.
The ambulance service has not met the target to respond to 75 per cent of the most serious calls, called “red 1” calls, within eight minutes since April last year.
It also has a workforce shortage and has made trips to Australia to try and attract paramedics.
A spokeswoman for the trust said: “London Ambulance Service is in final negotiations with CCGs about investing around an additional £27.2m for 2015-16, including funding for increased activity. A further £5m will be funded from within London Ambulance Service.
“This funding would be used to increase staffing and capacity through recruitment, new vehicles and investing in specialist clinical teams, and will be released over the year as the service achieves milestones around performance, recruitment and productivity.”
The trust is forecasting a surplus of £1m for 2014-15, according to its March board papers. This is revised down from a £3m planned surplus at the beginning of the financial year.
It has been reduced “to reflect the planned investment in additional capacity” agreed with commissioners, NHS England and the NHS Trust Development Authority, according to the papers.
Source
HSJ research and board papers
Source date
23 April 2015
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