London Ambulance Service FOIs
Here you'll find links to correspondence between the London Ambulance Service (LAS) and the Royal Borough of Greenwich concerning delays caused by low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), cycle lanes, and other road infrastructure, obtained by Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.
West Greenwich Neighbourhood Management scheme
8 July 2020
The Royal Borough of Greenwich wrote to all emergency services for the first time to advise it was looking to implement 'modal filters' (LTNs) across West Greenwich and Lee Green. It asked for all feedback to be provided within less than two days.
The LAS highlighted a number of concerns, including ambulance drivers not having GERDA or FB keys to unlock static bollards, as well as the delays 'blocked' roads would cause.
In its correspondence, the LAS stated, 'It is not acceptable to delay the ambulances reaching addresses of 999 calls within a restricted area, as any delay could result in death or permanent injury to a patient. HM Coroner has issued prevent future death notices regarding these issues previously, so any scheme must easily allow emergency vehicle access at all times during operation.'
'An obstruction of emergency services could also be considered as obstruction under the Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006.'
The council rolled out the scheme, complete with static bollards, one month later in August 2020.
14 September 2020
The LAS wrote to the Royal Borough of Greenwich to report two delays caused 'as a result of the LTN'.
The first, just seven days after the LTN's static bollards had been installed, added a 5-6 minute delay onto an immediately life-threatening category 1 response call on King George Street.
The second delay related to a (category 2) life-threatening response call and resulted in a delay of 4 minutes.
19 October 2020
The LAS wrote to the Royal Borough of Greenwich to report another delay caused by West Greenwich LTNs.
As a result of being unable to gain access to King George Street from the bottom of Crooms Hill, the ambulance was required to make a detour up Blackheath Hill and along Shooters Hill Road.
12 November 2020
The LAS wrote to the Royal Borough of Greenwich to report a further two delays caused by LTNs.
The first delay occurred after the ambulance was required to make a diversion due to the LTN implemented on Christchurch Way, which featured locked, static bollards, resulting in a delay to a category 2 life-threatening response call.
The second delay, also to a category 2 life-threatening call, resulted in the ambulance crew having to turn around at the bottom of Crooms Hill in their attempt to reach an address in Deptford.
In an internal response to the LAS' email, the council's senior traffic engineer seemingly tries to place the blame on the LAS staff's 'lack of knowledge'.
16 December 2020
The LAS wrote to the Royal Borough of Greenwich to highlight five delays caused by LTNs.
In its correspondence, the LAS requested a meeting to be held due to the number of delays being experienced.
The council responded eight days later on Christmas Eve to state a meeting would be arranged.
26 April 2021
The LAS wrote to the Royal Borough of Greenwich to report a further delay caused by LTNs.
In its correspondence, the LAS requested an update as to whether automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras were yet to have been considered in replacement of static bollards.
The council responded to state a decision would be made the following month whether to remove the scheme or make it permanent with amendments including ANPR cameras.
An internal email sent afterwards referenced a recent fire on King George Street. Despite requesting all correspondence the council has had with emergency services, a report of this incident has never been forthcoming.
25 May 2021
The LAS wrote to the Royal Borough of Greenwich to report three delays.
The first delay, to a category 2 life-threatening response call, was caused by school street modal filters positioned on Invicta Road and Siebert Road in SE3.
The second delay was for another category 1 immediately life-threatening response call, and was caused by static bollards at the bottom of Crooms Hill.
The third delay was a result of cycle lane wands on Woolwich Road, preventing vehicles from pulling over to allow the ambulance to proceed; it took the LAS five minutes to drive 0.8 miles.
Despite previously being advised by the council that a decision would be made about the scheme that month, the LAS asked for an update on a review of the scheme as they had 'had no update for some time.'
West & East Greenwich Neighbourhood Management scheme
16 October 2023
The Royal Borough of Greenwich wrote to all emergency services for the first time to advise it was looking to implement 'designs' (LTNs) as part of it new West & East Greenwich Neighbourhood Management project. It asked for all feedback to be provided within seven days.
The council's email can be viewed at the bottom of the document linked to below, and was - perhaps of deep concern - the first time emergency services had been made aware of the scheme. Given that the council's first stage of the consultation process had begun in February of that year and the second and final stage of the consultation had already closed, and questions must be asked.
In its correspondence, the council acknowledged that emergency services vehicles would be required to make detours as a result of the planned implementation of the scheme.
Aside from addressing three pages of concerns in its email dated 16 October 2023, the LAS higlighted previous correspondence sent to the council On 5 July 2020 by the LAS chief operating officer informing them of the service's concerns regarding hard closures and requesting that where possible hard closures should be avoided due to the potential risk hard closures could have on patient safety.
The council looks to implement the West & East Greenwich Neighbourhood Management scheme during the sumer of 2024.
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