An Oxford MP has called on the Government to convene an emergency COBRA meeting to solve the local ambulance crisis. 

South Central Ambulance Service declared a critical incident on Monday (July 11).

The service is now at the highest alert level (REAP Level 4), with response times being measured in hours instead of minutes.  

READ MORE: South Central Ambulance Service declares 'critical' incident

SCAS said the incident was declared due to high numbers of 999 calls, rising Covid-19 and other infections amongst staff and the community and the heatwave.

By declaring an incident, the service is able to seek further support from its partners and alert the wider healthcare system, as well as the public, to its existing challenges in reaching patients quickly.

Layla Moran, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon feels a special COBRA meeting could bring together the heads of each ambulance service, paramedics, NHS and social care, leaders, primary care, public health leads and experts in emergencies.

She said: “Our area is gripped by a local health emergency yet the Government has offered no help whatsoever. 

"Sadly too many people around here have terrible stories to tell about waiting hours on end for an ambulance, or worse still, giving up altogether for one to arrive. 

"A COBRA meeting should be convened and representatives from South Central Ambulance Service invited to join.

“My heartfelt thanks is with our local paramedics and NHS staff, who have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic and beyond, but now they are at breaking point.

"Why won’t Ministers step in to help? 

“Ministers need to stop spending all their time talking about Conservative leadership candidates and actually do their job. Instead, people in Oxfordshire are being taken for granted again.”

Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP added: “It is now or never to save lives.

"With warnings of a heatwave emergency, the Government must convene a special COBRA meeting today and put in place a plan to support  overstretched health and social care services. People can’t wait any longer. 

“It’s simply appalling that we’ve heard more from Ministers about the Conservative party leadership contest than about a genuine national emergency.

"We’ve not heard a peep out of the Secretary of State for Health on ambulance services which are operating at the fringes of what is safe. It is time Conservative Ministers put country over party, starting today.”

A spokesperson for South Central Ambulance Service said: “We continue to prioritise our response to those patients with life-threatening and serious emergencies but, due to the current levels of pressure we are seeing, there will be delays in responding to other patients with less urgent needs who are assessed as requiring an ambulance response.”

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This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.

You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry

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