Ambulance wait times 'impacting people's sense of security'

Ambulances spent more than 1,800 hours waiting outside Shropshire's emergency hospitals last month, recent figures have revealed.

The number is slightly down on November, when ambulances waited for more than 2,000 hours outside the hospitals, but concerns remain about how difficult it can be to get crews out to fresh incidents.

Councillor Andy Burford, Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet member for adult social care and health, said it was a concern regularly raised by constituents.

"It's a constant problem," he said. "People raise this with me all the time. The waiting times at the hospital has an impact on people's sense of security. Even if you're not needing that service, you wonder what would happen if you do. It's a really difficult situation.

"Even with everyone feeling slightly more relaxed about coronavirus, it just shows the pressures have not gone away from the health service."

He added: "The pressures are having an effect on care in the community in terms of getting people out of hospital, as well as the demands at the front door. The staff absences and sickness are a significant factor.

"Recruitment is part of the long term solution, and the NHS are doing all they can to get people in. But that isn't the solution for the here and now.

"I think the positive aspect is the way staff are coping with this. They are doing a great job.

"I know it must be frustrating [for paramedics] when they want to be getting out to people but they can't leave people. It must have an effect on morale.

"There are a few signs of improvement but it's still a difficult situation."

The West Midlands Ambulance Trust are to discuss the issue of handover delays at a meeting tomorrow, with a report repeating its previous warning that the situation is affecting the ability to respond to the public's requests for help.

A report from Mark Docherty, executive director of nursing and clinical commissioning at West Midlands Ambulance, will be considered when the board meets.

Nigel Lee, Chief Operating Officer at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, addressed the issue last year, saying: “We are acutely aware of the ongoing impacts the lengthy delays in ambulance handover times are having for some of our patients and would like to apologise to those affected. Both within our hospitals, and alongside the wider local health and care system, we have already taken a number of actions to look to address these, with a number of others in train and planned.

"We want to reassure you that we are continuing to do everything we can, alongside partners, to deal with the delays and my colleagues are working exceptionally hard to ensure that we offer the high-level of care we want to provide for all those who use our services.”