XN000022-1996-01-24 — Page 75

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Reply:

(a)

(b)

(c)

of the strength of the ambulance crew and the number of ambulance calls received in each of the past three years (with a separate breakdown of the number of emergency calls received), together with the percentage increase/decrease in each of the years concerned;

of the percentage of the services which have attained their targets set out in the Performance Pledge over the past three years; whether the percentage shows a downward trend, and if so, why; and

whether the Government will increase the number of ambulance crew as well as the number of ambulances so that the ambulance service can operate at the normal establishment levels to achieve the targets set in the Performance Pledge; if so, when will this be implemented; if not, why not; and whether there are any measures to improve the current situation?

(a)

The strength of the Ambulancemen grade in the past three years is:

Year

Number of Ambulancemen

1995

1994

1993

as at 1 April

1,865

1,920

· 1,963

The decrease in crew strength in 1994 and 1995 was due to the hiving off of most non-emergency ambulance services to the Hospital Authority. This programme started in March 1994 and was completed in September 1995.

The number of ambulance calls attended in the past three years are:

Year

Emergency

Number of Ambulance Calls

Others

Total

1995

317,749

107,594 425,343

(+9.8%)

(-21.0%) (-0.0%)

1994

289,289

136,046 425,335

(+7.6%)

(-21.5%)

(-3.8%)

1993

268,943

173,361

442,304

() denotes the % increase/decrease over the previous year.