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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/30/ambulances-too-slow-reach-seriously-ill-patients-bbc-report
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| Ambulances too slow to reach seriously ill patients, says report | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Ambulances are failing to reach dying and seriously ill patients fast enough as the service creaks under the strain of high demand, according to a report. | Ambulances are failing to reach dying and seriously ill patients fast enough as the service creaks under the strain of high demand, according to a report. |
| Only one of the UK’s 13 ambulance services, the Welsh ambulance service, is meeting the target to reach patients with life-threatening conditions within eight minutes, a BBC investigation has found. | Only one of the UK’s 13 ambulance services, the Welsh ambulance service, is meeting the target to reach patients with life-threatening conditions within eight minutes, a BBC investigation has found. |
| Freedom of information requests by the broadcaster found more than 500,000 hours of ambulance crews’ time in England, Wales and Northern Ireland was wasted waiting at A&E to hand over patients to hospital staff. | Freedom of information requests by the broadcaster found more than 500,000 hours of ambulance crews’ time in England, Wales and Northern Ireland was wasted waiting at A&E to hand over patients to hospital staff. |
| Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said the significant strain on the NHS was due to the government’s failure to accept the social care crisis. | Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said the significant strain on the NHS was due to the government’s failure to accept the social care crisis. |
| He said: “The government has continuously failed to acknowledge the scale of the crisis in social care and the record numbers of delayed discharges in our hospitals as a result – a significant factor in the buildup of pressure on our hospitals. | He said: “The government has continuously failed to acknowledge the scale of the crisis in social care and the record numbers of delayed discharges in our hospitals as a result – a significant factor in the buildup of pressure on our hospitals. |
| “Having the support and infrastructure in place to discharging medically fit patients safely is central to releasing pressure on emergency departments, acute medical units and ambulance services. | “Having the support and infrastructure in place to discharging medically fit patients safely is central to releasing pressure on emergency departments, acute medical units and ambulance services. |
| “It is essential that clinical and political leaders ramp up the pressure and hold the health secretary and government to account on this issue before it is too late.” | “It is essential that clinical and political leaders ramp up the pressure and hold the health secretary and government to account on this issue before it is too late.” |
| NHS England’s ambulance lead, Prof Jonathan Benger, said the rising number of calls the service received was a major factor in the delays. | NHS England’s ambulance lead, Prof Jonathan Benger, said the rising number of calls the service received was a major factor in the delays. |
| He told the BBC: “In the face of rising demand it is not surprising we are having difficulty meeting these targets. It is time to look at the system.” | He told the BBC: “In the face of rising demand it is not surprising we are having difficulty meeting these targets. It is time to look at the system.” |
| An NHS England spokesman said NHS Improvement was working to reduce delays in A&Es receiving patients, with some hospitals ensuring extra nursing staff are available at peak times. | An NHS England spokesman said NHS Improvement was working to reduce delays in A&Es receiving patients, with some hospitals ensuring extra nursing staff are available at peak times. |
| “These delays have many contributory causes and often reflect pressure on beds within the hospital as a whole and a system that is struggling to discharge patients to community settings,” the spokesman said. | “These delays have many contributory causes and often reflect pressure on beds within the hospital as a whole and a system that is struggling to discharge patients to community settings,” the spokesman said. |
| “We recognise that handover should occur as soon as it is safe to do so, with ambulances released to return to frontline duties in a timely way. | “We recognise that handover should occur as soon as it is safe to do so, with ambulances released to return to frontline duties in a timely way. |
| “All staff are working hard to keep handover delays to a minimum with a view to eliminating them altogether.” | “All staff are working hard to keep handover delays to a minimum with a view to eliminating them altogether.” |