Paramedics continue to sit frustrated with a cup of tea as 999 calls in London go “unanswered” due to a lack of ambulances

Dozens of ambulance crews in London are unable to work every day due to a shortage of vehicles and are instead left stranded as calls for desperate Britons go “unanswered”.

The problem at the London Ambulance Service Trust has reportedly been going on for months, but has worsened significantly since September.

This has left rescue workers sitting on bases for hours drinking “a cup of tea” as they frustratingly can’t do anything to help Britons in need.

A trust spokesman told MailOnline the problem was caused by “supply chain issues” with new vehicles.

The London Ambulance Service Trust recently recruited 900 new frontline staff to modernize its fleet.

“In recent weeks, this has resulted in some of our employees being able to start their duties with delays.

“However, it is important to note that – despite these production delays – the number of hours that staff are in the emergency vehicle and caring for patients has increased by 10 percent compared to last winter.”

The Health Service Journal reported that the issue caused frustration among employees.

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“Teams have no problem sitting down and drinking a cup of tea for half an hour. But more than that, they are frustrated, especially when they know there are unanswered calls,” a source told the site.

MailOnline understands that on some of the worst days, up to 50 London ambulance crews were unable to hit the streets due to the shortage.

However, with two new vehicles arriving every day, the problem is expected to be resolved before Christmas.

A trust spokesman added: “We have already received many new vehicles, with a further 40 due to arrive before Christmas.”

“However, supply chain issues and production delays (in part exacerbated by the collapse of one of our manufacturers) have delayed the introduction of some of these vehicles.”

The trust added that it disputed the anonymous source who claimed that calls had gone unanswered.

The London Ambulance Service Trust’s problems arise as emergency response times in England fail to meet targets.

According to the latest available data, the average response time to Category 1 calls – for people with the most life-threatening illnesses or injuries – was 8 minutes and 40 seconds in October. The target time is seven minutes.

For category two calls, emergencies including treatment of people with burns, epilepsy and strokes, the average response time was 41 minutes and 40 seconds.

This is more than double the Health Service’s usual target of 18 minutes for such emergencies, although this year it was extended to 30 minutes as part of the Health Service’s recovery plan.

In response to the story, a spokesperson for NHS England said the health service planned to put more ambulances on the road this winter.

“The NHS has increased the number of ambulances deployed and plans to put even more ambulances on the road this winter and, as always, we will work with emergency services and providers to take action where necessary,” they said.

The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, a body which co-ordinates the work of emergency services in England, said it was not aware of any other trusts in the country facing the same problems as the London Ambulance Service Trust.