A UNION has slammed the ambulance service for falling below the national average for cardiac care.

The East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) successfully resuscitated 17.3 per cent of patients whose heart had stopped beating before they arrived at hospital between April 2011 and February 2012.

It ranks 10th out of 12 trusts nationally, with the national average 22.8 per cent.

The GMB, which organises amongst paramedics, has hit out at the trust for changing the way it responds to calls by sending the closest unit in a bid to hit its eight minute target.

Tony Hughes, GMB regional officer for the ambulance service, said: “These figures show the extent to which the ambulance service is a life or death service.

“Our members say due to the need to meet the response times the service always allocates the nearest resource. However on many occasions this has not been an appropriate response to the type of call.

“GMB seek to meet with EEAST so we can work through the issues and design a service fit for purpose.”

A spokesman for the ambulance trust said: “EEAST figures are twice the target of eight per cent, they are improving and more patients are reaching hospital alive following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest than ever before. “One of our priorities is to provide the best possible outcome for cardiac arrest patients and initiatives to improve practice and increase the chance of patient survival have focused on further staff training, better use of community first responders and working with communities to provide defibrillators.

“Rotas are being redesigned so all available staff and vehicles are in the best places at the best times to get to calls most quickly in the best interests of patients and that the most appropriate vehicle is sent.”