Ransom Hall Southwell Road West Rainworth Mansfield Nottinghamshire NG21 0ER Tel: 0300 300 1234 10 April 2008 Matthew Garrard Scrutiny Officer Nottinghamshire County Council County Hall West Bridgford Nottingham NG2 7QP Dear Matthew Wendy Saviour has asked me to write and thank you for your letter of 10 April 2008 and previous correspondence on the recent Scrutiny Review of EMAS. With regard to the EMAS Scrutiny Review, the PCT is grateful to the Select Committee for its assessment of key issues and the comprehensive set of recommendations made. The report is thorough, very balanced and recognises the positive performance improvements made in response times. The initiation of a cross-county Scrutiny Review took place following the Healthcare Commissions rating of ‘weak’ quality of services for the year 2005/6. The Select Committee’s work concluded shortly after the subsequent year’s standards were published which confirmed ‘Good’ quality of services and ‘Fair’ use of resource. The report’s recommendations were received at the 18 February 2008 EMAS Board meeting. Derbyshire County PCT are the lead commissioner for EMAS on behalf of the East Midlands PCTs. This PCT is also an active participant in all appropriate contract monitoring groups. The comprehensive report and recommendations will provide a focus for Commissioning monitoring meetings to ensure actions are taken forward and there are continued improvements to responsiveness and service quality. We will ensure that progress is reported both to the Scrutiny Committee and our wider stakeholders, including local people. As highlighted by the final report, remoteness and rurality conveys particular challenges to ensuring timely responsiveness of emergency services. EMAS continues to achieve year-on year improvement against national response targets (Categories A and B) across all borough/district areas in Nottinghamshire. EMAS operates dynamic stand-by points to ensure optimum operational responsiveness. The Select Committee appropriately asserts the importance of this approach and rightly advocates that local public services should provide practical support wherever EMAS analysis identifies the need for a particular location to become a dynamic stand-by point. Recommendations 7, 8 and 12 helpfully reminds all local public services from the Highways Agency to the NHS family of Trusts in Nottinghamshire of the imperative to engage EMAS effectively in consultation activities and, in particular, at an early stage of considering any service development or variation. I am pleased to report that the 2008/9 contract agreed with EMAS includes further new investment to enhance call centre staffing numbers and continue work to ‘skill- up’ the workforce, for example supporting Paramedics to extend their skills to become Emergency Care Practitioners. With regard to the focused programme of work outlined in your very helpful letter of 10 April I will respond separately to those issues. Finally, can I again convey the PCT’s gratitude to the Select Committee for this very significant piece of work and its positive contribution to improving emergency health care services for the people of Nottinghamshire. Yours sincerely Charlie Keeney Assistant Chief Executive .