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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/mar/31/boy-taken-to-hospital-in-fire-engine-due-to-ambulance-shortage-telford
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| Boy taken to hospital in fire engine due to ambulance shortage | Boy taken to hospital in fire engine due to ambulance shortage |
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| A 10-year-old boy involved in a car accident was taken to hospital by a fire engine as there were no ambulances available. | A 10-year-old boy involved in a car accident was taken to hospital by a fire engine as there were no ambulances available. |
| The boy had been involved in the accident in Telford during the early hours of Wednesday and suffered a head injury, the Shropshire Star reported. | The boy had been involved in the accident in Telford during the early hours of Wednesday and suffered a head injury, the Shropshire Star reported. |
| A spokesman for West Midlands ambulance service said: “At the time, four emergency ambulances had been delayed by over an hour each to handover their patients at the two Shropshire hospitals. In addition, ambulance staff were looking after patients in the hospital corridor at the time. | A spokesman for West Midlands ambulance service said: “At the time, four emergency ambulances had been delayed by over an hour each to handover their patients at the two Shropshire hospitals. In addition, ambulance staff were looking after patients in the hospital corridor at the time. |
| “Two ambulances were dispatched to the accident but were stood down when the fire service informed us that they were transporting the patient.” | “Two ambulances were dispatched to the accident but were stood down when the fire service informed us that they were transporting the patient.” |
| The ambulance service has repeatedly raised the issue of long delays offloading patients with the hospital and local healthcare commissioners and will do so again, the spokesman added. | The ambulance service has repeatedly raised the issue of long delays offloading patients with the hospital and local healthcare commissioners and will do so again, the spokesman added. |
| “Whilst on this occasion no harm appears to have come to the patient, it is a completely unacceptable situation that we were unable to respond to an incident such as this,” he said. | “Whilst on this occasion no harm appears to have come to the patient, it is a completely unacceptable situation that we were unable to respond to an incident such as this,” he said. |
| Debbie Kadum, chief operating officers at the Shrewsbury and Telford hospital NHS trust, said the hospitals were dealing with unprecedented volumes of very patients at their A&E departments over Easter. | |
| The number of A&E cubicles at Telford hospital had increased by 40% but this had not been enough to meet demand, she said. |