NHS Reorganisation

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, and I agree with him. As with PCTs, there are clear and compelling reasons for change in the way in which ambulance services are structured. The range of care they provide is expanding, taking health care to patients who need an emergency response, providing urgent advice or treatment to patients who are less ill and providing care to those whose condition or location prevents them from travelling easily to access health care services. Spending on ambulance services has increased by over 75 per cent. since 1997, which has helped to bring about improvements to services. Over the past two years, the Government have met, and exceeded, the standard that at least 75 per cent. of 999 calls from patients with immediate, life-threatening conditions should have an ambulance respond to them within eight minutes. This has been achieved in spite of consistently increasing demand for ambulance services.