Lord Carter’s review into unwarranted variation in NHS ambulance trusts (NHS England, last updated 15 November 2021)

Summary

Lord Carter’s review identifies unwarranted variation in the delivery of ambulance services, as well as the potential savings of £500 million that could be made in efficiencies by 2020/21.

Content

Following Lord Carter’s 2016 review into the operational productivity of acute non-specialists trusts, the ambulance sector requested a similar review into its services to help them understand what good looks like. As well as what improvements could be made to deliver good quality, better value services for their patients.

Lord Carter has produced the report into ambulance productivity in England with nine recommendations to improve patient care, efficiency and support for frontline staff who have responded to a significant rise in demand for ambulance services in recent years.

The report found that if more patients were treated at the scene by paramedics or were better assessed over the phone when dialling 999 — avoiding the need for an ambulance when it is safe to do so — the NHS could treat patients closer to home and reduce unnecessary pressure on emergency departments (EDs) and hospital beds. Offering safe and quicker care could save the NHS £300m a year by 2021, with a further £200m of savings through improvements in ambulance trusts infrastructure and staff productivity.