Unison claims East Yorkshire patients are dying in queuing ambulances

According to the health union, paramedics are “watching their patients die in the back of ambulances because they can’t get them into A&E”.

They were commenting on data showing 2,750 hours were lost by ambulance crews waiting to hand over patients at Hull Royal Infirmary in October 2023 – one crew was stuck outside A&E for 10 hours and 27 minutes.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals said it was “confident” a new urgent treatment centre on the hospital site would “improve overall waiting times” and lost ambulance hours had “reduced notably” this month.

The figures showed that on 9^th October 2023, ambulance crews lost 144 hours and 18 minutes, the equivalent to one crew being out of action for six full days and nights.

Unison’s Yorkshire ambulance lead, Megan Ollerhead, said paramedics were “literally watching their patients die in the back of these ambulances because they can’t get into A&E.

“I talk to a lot of the people who receive the 999 calls in the control rooms and they’re just listening to people begging for ambulances and they know there are none to send.”

A spokesperson for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said “We are embarking on a programme of work to improve the whole approach to unplanned care, and this begins with the opening of a new urgent treatment centre on the Hull Royal Infirmary site.

“Once complete, we are confident this will help to improve overall waiting times in emergency care.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (jacquelinevance@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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