Ban private ambulance services from responding to 999 calls

Did you know that when you dial 999 in parts of England, the ambulance that arrives is not an NHS ambulance. Its a private contractor. Paid by the NHS. Often with less qualified staff. Operating on a contract that pays them more if they hit certain metrics and nothing if they dont.

We are privatising the moment between life and death and calling it "capacity support". It is neither ethical nor necessary. It saves almost nothing. It introduces a profit motive into the one part of the health service where profit has no business being.

Ban it. Bring 999 ambulance cover fully back in-house. Fund the NHS to meet demand directly. If the government wants to spend more on ambulances, brilliant — but spend it on ambulances, not on three layers of sub-contracted management skimming off the top.