Ambulance Commissioner Accuses GPs of “Playing the System”

The North West Ambulance Service informed Bolton health bosses that it is struggling to meet targets and is struggling to cope with waiting times because GPs are "playing the system."

One concern was GPs were prioritising their patients to get them to hospital quicker, which the ambulance service claims leads to increased pressure on their services and is exacerbating the wait for everyone.

The change in the new categorisation system has greatly impacted on the ambulance service and has led to changes in the way the service operates.

Mr Moses, of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority commissioners, has offered his assurances that patients of "highest acuity" would get the fastest response.

Prior to the new categorisation, the time targets were met when any type of paramedic reached the patient within the target time. Now, times are calculated from when the ambulance arrives on at scene, except for cardiac arrests.

To achieve the time targets, several rapid response vehicles have been decommissioned to allow for further investment in ambulances.

The service is also operating under a new 'locality model' which enables the call handler to see current pressures in hospitals, which allows the caller to divert the ambulance to hospitals with less demand.

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