Over one million pounds of public money is wasted every month when crews from the ambulance service which covers Cumbria are called out but find nobody to treat - or refuse help.

Every month there are 1,181 ambulance responses to locations where no patients are found. A further 6,207 responses are made to people who refuse care and treatment from paramedics.

With each of these call outs costing approximately £145 the total price of wasted ambulance journeys costs the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust and the public purse, £12,855,120 a year which could have funded:

• 92 new, fully kitted emergency ambulances

• The salaries and staffing costs for 286 paramedics or 390 emergency medical technicians

• 1071 high spec monitoring devices

• 2,571,024 blankets to keep patients warm

• 1071 stretchers