Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with East of England Ambulance Service Trust since 17 January 2018 on ambulance delays during December 2017 and January 2018.

The Department made enquiries about whether ambulance delays during mid-December 2017 to early January 2018 caused additional harm to patients at the Trust, through NHS Improvement.

The Department has received assurance that all cases that had significant delays have already been identified and are being investigated by the Trust, in conjunction with its commissioners. Where cases are classified as ‘serious incidents’ there is a nationally set process which ensures that investigations are appropriately rigorous.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have called a risk summit to review the current situation in East of England Ambulance Service. The Care Quality Commission has also been notified of the concerns raised.