Critical North East Ambulance Service report blamed on 'underfunding' by Northumberland MP

The report highlighted “leadership dysfunction” at the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) leading to alleged “cover-ups” and was described as “painful reading” by the service’s chief executive, Helen Ray.

It was looking into allegations against NEAS that key documents relating to cases in which patients died were not shared with coroners in a timely manner – and in some cases, were even altered.

Wansbeck’s Labour MP, Ian Lavery, said that while there had been clear failures within NEAS, the service lacked the resources to carry out their work effectively.

Mr Lavery said: “While undoubtedly there have been failures within the service that are now rightly being reviewed to ensure they don’t happen again, we must also take a step back and look at the wider shortcomings within the NHS which have ultimately led to these tragedies taking place. Since 2010 the NHS, including the ambulance service, has been fighting against chronic levels of underfunding and understaffing.

“There simply are not the resources or the manpower at NEAS, or other departments, to carry out their jobs as effectively and efficiently as possible. The result is inevitable events like those which have consumed the ambulance service.

“This has to be a wake-up call that until the problems facing our NHS are sorted out at the root then we will see more and more failures of this kind. Individuals working for NEAS and elsewhere in the health service do an incredible job in what are almost impossible circumstances.

“I want to place on record my firm and unwavering support for all NHS staff who continue to work under immense pressure to keep us and our loved ones alive.”

Mr Lavery added that he hoped the report would “go some way” to bringing affected families “some level of closure”. However, the parents of teenager Quinn Evie Milburn-Beadle – who died after paramedic Gavin Wood failed to attempt “full advanced life support” – branded the report “a complete whitewash”.

The trust maintains processes have been improved, and CEO Helen Ray did not rule out the prospect of more individuals facing further action over the failings identified in the review.