Police and Health Committee Letter to NHS and DHSC

The Police and Crime Committee and Health Committee have written to the Government asking about plans to ensure that the London Ambulance Services has the funding it needs to respond to a terrorist attack in London.

To explore the ever-changing threats from terrorism, the Police and Crime Committee launched an investigation in 2022 into counter-terrorism and radicalisation in London. It looked at London’s preparedness for a terrorist attack, and efforts to prevent and tackle radicalisation in the capital.

The Committee found that progress has been made to further improve how blue-light services work together to prepare for and respond to a terror attack. However, it also highlighted that the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade are facing significant pressures that could impede an effective response to a major incident.

In response to the report, the London Ambulance Service told the Committee that it is grateful for the additional funding that has been provided to it which goes some way towards helping manage the costs associated with increased pressures.

However, the London Ambulance Service underlined that additional funding was required to properly and proportionately reflect the heightened costs involved in providing an emergency ambulance service to a capital city, which inevitably has additional threats of terrorism to other parts of the country.

In light of this, and in partnership with the Health Committee, the Police and Crime Committee has written to the Department of Health and Social Care and the NHS asking for information on how they are working with the London Ambulance Service in this area.

It has also asked about plans to ensure that the London Ambulance Service has the funding it needs to meet the specific demands operating in London places on the service.