Heart attack victims in Milton Keynes facing over 25-minute wait for ambulance

New figures reveal potential heart attack and stroke victims in Milton Keynes are waiting an average of 25.44 minutes for an ambulance.

The data obtained through a Freedom of Information request by the Lib Dems reveals that the NHS target of 18 minutes to respond to Category 2 calls is being missed by over seven minutes in Milton Keynes.

Category 2 calls include incidents such as potential heart attacks, strokes, and severe burns.

Ambulance delays have significantly worsened in recent years, with the average response time for Category 2 calls increasing by 64.4% since 2019.

The average response time for Category 1 calls, which are the most urgent and life-threatening, was 07:57 minutes up 36.4% since 2019.

Councillor Jane Carr, Lib Dem Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Public Health said: “Behind these figures are devastating stories of pensioners left stranded for hours, or families in Milton Keynes watching a loved one die before a paramedic could reach them.

“Paramedics on the frontline do an incredible job day in day out.

"They look after people in their time of need and now they’re taking strike action over falling wages. Our overstretched local NHS services are collapsing under the strain of years of neglect under this Conservative government.”

Councillor Robin Bradburn, Lib Dem Leader on Milton Keynes City Council, added: “The Liberal Democrats have provided a clear plan to tackle these shocking delays and make sure ambulances reach people on time in an emergency. That means addressing workforce shortages, fixing the social care crisis, and ending the shortage of hospital beds, all of which are leaving patients in ambulances stuck outside A&E for hours.”

> We have contacted South Central Ambulance Service, which covers Milton Keynes, for a comment.

Its staff including paramedics, emergency care assistants, and call handlers are planning strike action December 21 and December 28.

Workers voted last week to take industrial action over the government's 4% pay award. The GMB union has described the offer as a "massive real-terms pay cut".