There are still hundreds of people waiting for ambulances despite the 999 service's desperate plea to only call in the event of a life-threatening emergency. The service issued a plea last night (December 12) asking members of the public to only call the emergency line if absolutely necessary.
North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) bosses also apologised for delays, as they said the service was extremely stretched across the region. NWAS chiefs said that at 5pm yesterday, more than 600 poorly patients were waiting for an ambulance across the North West.
At the same time, another 100 emergency vehicles were parked outside of hospitals waiting to take patients inside. Now, NWAS has issued an update saying there are still some 300 emergency calls waiting to be taken in the region, more than 300 patients waiting for an ambulance, and over 40 emergency vehicles suffering 'substantial waits' to handover patients to hospital medics.
This afternoon (December 13), NWAS issued a new statement, saying: "North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) is today thanking the public for their support following last night’s appeal to only use its 999 service for life-threatening emergencies and, where they do need to go to hospital, to use alternative transport.
"As of today (Tuesday 13 December), the trust’s 111 service is still experiencing a significant number of calls, currently 300 calls waiting, while over 300 patients wait for an available ambulance and over 40 emergency vehicles are experiencing substantial handover wait times with patients at several regional hospitals.
"The main conditions the public have called 111 with in the last 24 hours include sore throat, hoarse voice, back pain and queries on repeat prescriptions. These conditions can be assessed and supported online at 111.nhs.uk. NWAS urges the public to continue to think 111 online first."
Ged Blezard, Director of Operations at North West Ambulance Service, added: “Our ability to respond to patients as quickly as we’d like is still an issue, mainly due to the continued severe weather and hospital handover delays, which are tying up our crews at hospital sites making it difficult to get to other vulnerable people in the community.
"We urge the public to continue to follow our guidance on when to use our services. We are not where we want to be yet and supporting patients with life-threatening conditions remains our priority. If you think there is a threat to your life or someone else’s life, call 999. If your condition is serious but you are able to call on relatives and friends to take you to A&E, please consider this option.
“We will get to you as soon as we can and we thank you again for your support.”
The Manchester Evening News has urged the Department of Health and Social Care to respond to the crippled ambulance service, requesting an extensive interview with Secretary of State Steve Barclay.
The blue-light service also issued this public guidance:
· only call 999 for life-threatening emergencies
· do not call 999 to check on ambulance arrival times, we cannot answer this question, and this blocks the line for other calls trying to get through.
· for all other health concerns, urgent or minor check your symptoms at www.111,nhs,uk where you’ll be directed to the appropriate health care for you
'Severe weather and hospital handover delays' were just some of the factors having an impact on the service. All clinically-trained staff were called to the front line, with private providers also called in.
The latest turmoil comes ahead of impending industrial action, as paramedics, call handlers, emergency care assistants and other ambulance workers have voted in their masses to strike. Paramedics previously told the M.E.N they are braced for criticism for striking as the NHS heads into a difficult winter, but that patient safety will only continue to decline if nothing is done.
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