AIR AMBULANCE PROVISION AND QUALITY STANDARDS

Early day motion 1922, tabled 15 June 2011 by Brian Binley (Conservative). Signed by 14 members.

That this House celebrates the important work of air ambulances in the emergency treatment of patients with major trauma and in helping to ensure those who are seriously injured are treated quickly and transported to the most appropriate setting; congratulates the increasing number of air ambulances which deploy consultant and senior registrar doctors, also called Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) on board its aircraft; notes that whilst many air ambulance providers overall provide a good standard of care, the quality of care provided by individual air ambulances remains variable; further notes there are currently no clinical and/or operational audit frameworks in place to audit the performance and cost/benefits of air ambulance services in England; congratulates the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance Trust and the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance Trust, which operate entirely on a voluntary basis and which together are the country's busiest air ambulance service, in developing and pioneering such standards of care and innovative service to patients; and calls on the Department of Health to work closely with such innovative providers to address at the earliest opportunity the delay in the development of such clinical and operational standards, including a framework to rigorously audit the quality of air ambulance services.

Signatures by party: Labour 5, Conservative 4, DUP 3, Liberal Democrat 2.