YET again the question of ambulance response times has cropped up (Echo, Dec 20) this time the North-East Ambulance Trust is talking about ‘inappropriate’ calls.

Yes, I am sure a lot of members of the public do make waste of time calls and should be made to pay for such calls.

After all, we see enough TV advertisements begging us not to waste emergency calls to ambulances by ringing about trivial issues.

However, I suggest two reasons why ambulances are running so late in dealing with emergency calls. The first reason is shutting down local A&E departments meaning ambulances are taking the sick to hospitals outside theirarea.

It is nothing to see Durham-based ambulances waiting at James Cook Hospital, in Middlesbrough, and then being used to transfer patients to Newcastle, or vice versa. This means ambulance crews are rushing to calls for up to 20/30 miles away.

The second reason is the fact that the North East Ambulance service is top heavy with management, most of whom have been trained as ambulance staff but are now pen pushers.

Get this lot onto the streets working and then we may not be in the same position.

Or, we take on the US system of advanced life support ambulances for the emergency calls and basic life support ambulances for routine calls.

We could also use the fire service to respond to emergence calls to stabilise a patient while waiting for an ambulance.

John Merry, Darlington.