Worrying statistics produced by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) have revealed that nearly 40,000 patients were put at risk during July 2022 due to ambulance delays.

With the resources available already pushed to their limit, the latest figures have caused alarm as fears grow that the delays could worsen over the winter, when demand on NHS services is at it its peak owing to the cold weather, flu season and more recently rising Covid cases.

AACE data for July suggested there have been delays in responding to emergency situations at every stage including: 

- Time taken to answer 999 calls averaging 64 seconds, the slowest response time since records began.

- Ambulance crews taking an average of 59 minutes and 7 seconds to respond to “category two” 999 calls, the second most serious category of incident which includes people suffering from epileptic fits, major burns or sepsis.

- Response times to life threatening “category one” emergencies, such as cardiac or respiratory arrest or severe allergic reactions, averaging nine minutes and 36 seconds, the joint longest delay on record.

- Delays in the 15-minute handover from ambulance to hospital with total hours lost outside hospitals reaching 152,000 in July, and handovers taking more than an hour in 46,089 cases.

Whilst the causes of the delays are multi-factorial, this is predominantly being blamed on hospitals being unable to discharge patients quickly enough due to lack of social care for vulnerable patients. This is creating a beds shortage, which in turn is causing patients to stay in A&E longer. In one reported case, an ambulance crew was forced to wait 26 hours outside a hospital to handover a patient, whilst waits for beds inside the hospital reached 48 hours in some cases.

Dr Katherine Henderson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said that the situation represented “a major crisis”.

Whilst NHS England is looking into critical measures that can be put in place to prepare for winter pressures, there are concerns that this will not be enough to stop the service from reaching breaking point within the next few months.

Wirral Globe: Roneeta Sait, Associate Director and Clinical Negligence Solicitor Roneeta Sait, Associate Director and Clinical Negligence Solicitor (Image: Roneeta Sait, Associate Director and Clinical Negligence Solicitor)

Roneeta Sait, Associate Director and Clinical Negligence Solicitor noted: “The current ambulance crisis is extremely concerning. The delays in ambulances reaching patients and being able to handover their care to the hospital in a timely manner, is posing a grave danger to many, particularly those who are vulnerable and elderly.

Whilst the Covid pandemic has inevitably contributed to the deepening crisis, there have been reports of NHS leaders warning of worsening delays in handover of patients since as far back as 2015.

Long term solutions are now required to ensure that patient safety is being maintained”.

At Jackson Lees, we understand that our ambulance service is doing the best they can with the resources available to them, but you still have the right to quick and efficient care when you need it most. We have received many enquiries relating to ambulance delays and are passionate about assisting patients and their loved ones in being able to access justice and being given a clear explanation of what has gone wrong so that lessons can be learnt, and to help in the process of driving change and improving standards of care.

If you or a loved one has been affected by substandard medical treatment, you may be able to claim medical negligence compensation to help you move on from this mistake and put your life back together.

For a free consultation with one of our legal team call us on 0808 159 8144 or email enquiry@jacksonlees.co.uk or visit our website www.jacksonlees.co.uk.

If you have been injured by a medical professional, we are here to help you.

What we can do for you… 

- We deal with cases on a ‘no win, no fee basis’.

- We provide a dedicated team of lawyers supported by a doctor, nurse,  midwife and radiographer.

- We handle a full range of claims up to life changing injuries or those involving death of a loved one.

- We have male and female solicitors available for sensitive issues.

- We can visit you at your home and out of hours if required.

- We are independently accredited as experts in this field by the Law Society and AvMA (Action against Medical Accidents).

If you feel you may have been mistreated medically, or if someone you care about has, please contact our dedicated team on 0808 159 8144 for a confidential chat with a legal expert.

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