Hold tight to that 35% while old people are laying on the floor with broken hips for an hour and a half. I'll mention that 35% number to my next call that is supposed to be seen in 18 minutes - yet is held for *four hours*. I'm sure it'll bring comfort to the woman having a miscarriage waiting for an hour. No - I don't see the numbers, or look at the spreadsheets - because I'm on the road and I know the realities just fine. Keep thinking of it as CAD number increase, and ambulances are being left unmanned for FRUs - FRUs that are *untrained* to decide if someone needs to go to hospital or not. It's rumoured that the ECP programme is in tatters - instead we'll have paramedics with one or two modules being told to do that same job. 'Green motors' going to #NOF because they are low priority, that don't have Morphine, that can't manage blood loss. Meanwhile I'm sent to the 24 year old with a runny nose. I can reduce the number of calls as well - Just refuse to send to anything that isn't a 'chest pain'. But is that the service you want? Where is our excess capacity? We *know* that there are spikes in demand, yet seem unwilling to plan for it. Lets face it - we can't even work out if enforced overtime is allowed or agreed to. To answer your question - I *would* pay more tax, if I were convinced that it would go to the NHS and not into a pointless war or bailing out private businesses. Numbers are fine - but I'm in this job to *help people*, while I wasn't at the meetings I'd suggest that trying to get high non-conveyence is primarily about Orcon targets and budget rather than patient care. If it's all so wonderful, why are there constant GBs for calls being held (and not just at this time of year)? Why are 90 year olds laying on the floor for an hour and a half? Why are FRUs stuck on scene with sick patients for two hours? Non-conveyance will only go so far - and without a commitment to staff training, quality control and staff support, it will only last until too many die after being left at home. Or are you saying that no matter the increase in population and call volume we will be able to provide a consistently good service without more staff and ambulances? I look forward to the Olympics when we have to start relying on the private ambulance firms that have sprouted up everywhere to do our job for us. And, yes. I *am* emotional. I'm emotional because I looked at a ninety year old man being failed by his country, by the NHS he has paid tax on for all his life. When you look into someone's eyes and have to apologise for taking so long to get to him laying in the ice - that 35% means bugger all. ----- And thanks for the good wishes - I hope that everything goes well for you as well.