FOURTH ASSEMBLY HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE COMMITTEE’S LEGACY CONSULTATION – RESPONSE FROM WELSH AMBULANCE SERVICES NHS TRUST

In response to the Health and Social Care Committee’s Legacy Consultation, the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust would like to make the following observations which are probably best summarised by way of this email as opposed to being contained within the formal Consultation response proforma, as the Trust is not in a position to comment on the specific questions listed therein.  In submitting these comments, the Trust is responding by way of its own experience, having attended the Committee.

The key observations to be made in terms of the Trust’s attendance before the Committee were that:-

I) the Committee provided the opportunity for the Trust to tell its story in a public accountability setting which was valuable;

II) the opportunity to tell the story helped to begin to change the public narrative around the Service, and to correct some misconceptions;

III) the challenge from the Committee was helpful in stimulating progressive action both within the Trust and more broadly within the unscheduled care system;

IV) it provided an opportunity for the Trust to take stock and to articulate very clearly how it was going to address some of the challenges it was facing;

V) the recommendations which fell from the Committee’s inquiry were constructive and consistent (in the public interest) with the Trust’s strategic and performance improvement aspirations; and

VI) although challenging, the Committee conducted itself in a fair and even handed way and responded positively when the Trust identified anomalies in the published findings.

The Trust acknowledges that responses to the Consultation are made publicly available and is content for this letter to form part of that public record.

Should you require any further information then please do not hesitate to contact the Trust’s Corporate Secretary, xxxx on xxxx (email: xxxx).

Yours sincerely

Tracy Myhill

CHIEF EXECUTIVE