Northampton Chronicle & Echo
Copyright 2007 Johnston Press Digital Publishing

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, UK — Paramedics in Northamptonshire are under so much pressure to hit targets they are arriving at emergencies with too little oxygen to treat some patients, crew members have claimed.

A paramedic with East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) has said crews do not have enough time to prepare their vehicles in between calls.

It means that portable oxygen cylinders are often so depleted by the end of the week that paramedics sometimes cannot give patients the care they need.

Ambulances in Northamptonshire have even had to arrange to meet crews from quieter areas of the county to transfer oxygen to the busier vehicle.

Full Story: Paramedics claim patient care overshadowed by hitting target response times