AQW 13170/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health, pursuant to AQW 12140/22-27, for a breakdown of the (i) number of individuals supported; (ii) number of journeys made; and (iii) average journey mileage.
Asked by Kellie Armstrong MLA on 10 June 2024
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 10 June 2024
- Answer due by
- 25 June 2024
- Answered
- 24 June 202414 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Five of the Health and Social Care Trusts have advised that they do not hold this level of detail (i. individuals, ii. journeys and iii. mileage) within their central systems and it would require an extensive manual exercise to extract such information at a disproportionate cost.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NAIS) have advised they do not hold this level of detail (i. individuals and iii. mileage) within their central systems and it would require an extensive manual exercise to extract such information at a disproportionate cost. NIAS do however have readily available data on the number of journeys made per year which is outlined in Table 1 below: -
| Financial Year | Taxi Journeys | Costs (£) |
| 2019-20 | 7027 | 206,470 |
| 2020-21 | 15462 | 795,364 |
| 2021-22 | 16871 | 852,767 |
| 2022-23 | 27180 | 2,587,768 |
| 2023-24 | 28198 | 2,286,768* |
| Total | 94738 | 6,728,471 |
*2023-24 Draft, unaudited, and uncertified figures.