There was “complete chaos” in the emergency department of a major hospital on Boxing Day, with “up to 15 ambulances” queuing outside to receive sick patients, a paramedic said.
The paramedic, who did not want to be named, said he had not seen anything like the scene at Royal Bolton Hospital since the height of Covid.
A mother who took her son to the emergency department at Greater Manchester Hospital said she was advised to call a taxi instead of an ambulance after calling 111.
There was “complete chaos” in the emergency department of a major hospital on Boxing Day, with “up to 15 ambulances” queuing outside to receive sick patients, a paramedic said. The paramedic, who did not want to be named, said he had never seen anything like this at Royal Bolton Hospital since the height of the coronavirus crisis.
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The alarming scenes came after Health Minister Victoria Atkins asked bosses of hospitals with the longest delays to transfer patients from ambulances to emergency departments to “justify their ideas”.
It also followed a three-day strike by trainee doctors before Christmas, which was feared hospitals would struggle to discharge patients before the holidays – a record six more days of strikes are planned for the new year.
The paramedic told how he arrived with a patient yesterday afternoon – he described the situation as “total chaos”.
“It hasn’t been like this for years since Covid,” he said.
“It was absolute chaos and I don’t use the term lightly. The A&E staff are doing all they can but it’s bad. There are ambulances everywhere.
“We arrived at the hospital with a patient and had to wait for almost three and a half hours.
“There is no room for ambulance patients.”
The alarming scenes at Royal Bolton Hospital came after Health Secretary Victoria Atkins asked bosses of hospitals with the longest delays to transfer patients from ambulances to emergency departments to “justify their ideas”.
“We’re all just sitting there and that means we can’t take other jobs.”
Twelve ambulances were parked outside the emergency department at 3pm on Boxing Day.
The waiting area inside was bustling with activity; about two-thirds of the seats were occupied.
A woman who brought her son said: “We called 111 and they arranged a taxi for us instead of an ambulance and told us to come here straight away.”
“My heart sank a bit when I saw how busy it was but within 15 minutes he was seen and another 15 minutes later he was in a cubicle so he got through pretty quickly.”
The paramedic said the situation appeared to be particularly dire at the Royal Bolton Hospital, which had been made worse by the closure of GP practices.
“We’ve been to Salford before and it was quiet. It looks just like the Royal Bolton.”
Until January 10, hospitals will be at full capacity only four weekdays. Only January 27, 28, 29 and 2 are not affected by the impending holiday and strike chaos until January 10.
On their website, hospital leaders said the emergency department was “very busy” with wait times of up to four hours, but stressed that “the most seriously ill and injured patients are always treated immediately.”
In response, hospital bosses today agreed waiting times for some patients in Bolton were “unacceptable”.
Rae Wheatcroft, chief operating officer at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We stay very busy and our staff work extremely hard to ensure all our patients receive the care they need, safely, efficiently and as quickly as possible.” always look first to those who need our help the most.
“However, it is clear that the time some people have to wait for care is unacceptable. That’s why we continue to do everything we can to get people home safely, to get those who need care into a suitable bed as quickly as possible and to reduce the time people spend waiting for minor treatment. reduce.
“People can help us through the busy winter period by choosing the right NHS service.”
“We are always here to help in any life-threatening emergency. However, if your condition is not urgent, please contact your local GP, pharmacy or NHS 111 online for help with your symptoms.”
Across England, 15 hospitals account for almost half of all ambulance delays and according to analysis by The Times, one in eight patients across the country now have to wait more than an hour outside the emergency department.
In 13 hospitals, the average wait time for patients transferred from ambulance to emergency room this winter is now more than an hour, while patients in Plymouth are waiting four hours.
Trusts with the longest waiting times were accused by Ms Atkins earlier this month of “letting their communities down”. She told LBC the longest delays were “simply unacceptable”.
It comes after ambulance bosses last week called on the NHS to treat patients in corridors.
Already this winter, emergency vehicles had to queue for ten hours in front of hospitals.
NHS England figures show that almost 29,000 hours were lost due to delays in transferring patients who arrived by ambulance to the emergency department in the week ending 17 December.
One in three patients had to wait longer than 30 minutes, and one in seven had to wait even more than an hour. The target time is 15 minutes.
Daren Mochrie, chairman of the Association of Ambulance Chiefs (AACE), said that although it was “never ideal”, it was better to pick up patients in the corridors rather than having them sit in the back of ambulances.
NHS bosses have blamed a lack of space in hospitals, exacerbated by striking trainee doctors reducing capacity to discharge patients and free up beds.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
