Council calls ambulance waiting times a 'crisis'

"Our 999 control rooms are also working phenomenally hard to assess every call they receive."

Hinckley and Bosworth Council have written to the Secretary of State about residents in the Borough having to wait long times for ambulances to arrive.

Michael Mullaney, Lib Dem Councillor, said "Many elderly and poorly people in Leicestershire are having to wait unacceptably long times for ambulances to arrive.

"A friend of mines 78 year old mother in Barwell had to wait 11 hours for an ambulance to arrive after she had a fall. Tragically she died a few days later. Many other people locally report similar situations.

"Ambulance workers do an amazing job serving local people, but it's clear we need a more resourced local NHS that can cope with the high demand."

East Midlands Ambulance Service has said that they are experiencing unprecedented high demand and that delays at hospitals impact on the ambulance services' ability to get to patients waiting for a 999 response.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This level of performance is not what patients expect and we must do better for them. The Deputy Prime Minister has set out her ABCD priorities –  easing pressures on ambulances, clearing the Covid backlogs, supporting the care sector so patients can leave hospital and improving access to doctors and dentists.

“Our Plan For Patients sets out a range of measures to rapidly boost capacity and resilience this winter. This includes an extra £500 million to speed up hospital discharge and free up beds, getting ambulances back on the road more quickly as well as increasing the number of NHS 999 and 111 call handlers and creating the equivalent of at least 7,000 more beds."

The Chief Executive of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council will now write to the government alerting them to the wait times in the area.

Russ Smalley, Head of Operations for Leicestershire at East Midlands Ambulance Service said: "Delays at hospital impact on the ambulance services’ ability to get to patients waiting for a 999 response in the community, often without the presence of a clinical professional on scene, and so we are working closely with all our health and social care colleagues across Leicestershire to response to the on-going high levels of demand being experienced across the wider NHS system.

“Our 999 control rooms are also working phenomenally hard to assess every call they receive to ensure people experiencing life-threatening emergencies, such as cardiac arrest, are seen first.

“This means that patients experiencing less serious illnesses or injuries may experience an extended wait for an ambulance, so if you are asked by our 999-control room if you can make your own way to hospital, please do so – either via taxi or asking a friend or family member to drive you.

“We urge the public to play their part by calling 999 if life is at threat, and to use alternative services such as 111 online, GP, pharmacies or urgent treatment centres for other concerns. This allows us to respond to patients who need our ambulances with highly-skilled clinicians and life-saving equipment on board."