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Midlands Hospitals Grapple with Alarming Ambulance Handover Delays
13 Nov
Summary
- Midlands hospitals have the longest average ambulance handover times in England
- West Midlands Ambulance Service lost 41,000 hours waiting outside hospitals in October
- 84-year-old patient waited 10 hours in an ambulance outside Heartlands Hospital
According to data released by NHS England, patients in the Midlands region are facing the longest average waits for ambulance handovers to A&E departments. In October, eight of the 10 worst-performing hospital trusts in England were located in the Midlands, with the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) coming out on top.
The situation has become increasingly dire, with the West Midlands Ambulance Service reporting that its crews lost 41,000 hours waiting outside hospitals with patients in October, compared to 31,000 hours in September. This delay has had a significant impact on patient care, with the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives finding that thousands of people suffered "severe harm" due to ambulances being delayed for more than an hour at A&E.
The issue has drawn attention to the plight of elderly patients, such as an 84-year-old woman who was stuck in an ambulance for 10 hours outside Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham. Her family has called for more compassion from the NHS for the elderly. An NHS England spokesperson described the wait as "absolutely unacceptable" and stated that the organization is committed to reducing ambulance handover delays across the country.
