Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of avoidable deaths due to ambulance delays to date in winter 2017-18.

This information is not collected centrally. Robust local investigation processes are in place to investigate all serious incidents. This year the National Health Service was better prepared than ever before to meet the challenges of winter. The NHS and the Department undertake rigorous planning each year, putting in place robust plans to ensure resilience throughout the winter period. This planning includes ambulance trusts. Additionally, in place for this year, is a revised escalation framework encompassing all levels of the system – local, regional and national – to ensure a greater standardisation of response to winter pressures. This is overseen by the newly formed, clinically led, National Emergency Pressures Panel.