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Increasing number of ambulances turned away by A&E (18 April 2017)

Date: 18/04/2017
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Increasing number of ambulances turned away by A&E

It has been reported that over the winter several hospitals in England had to close their doors to ambulances. As a result, ambulances were diverted to different hospitals, causing delays for urgent treatments.

The ambulance diversions were caused by overwhelming demand at hospitals over the winter, worsened by an ageing population and limited resources, notably a shortage of beds and a lack of staffing. Hospitals have commented that closures were a last resort but necessary to maintain safety in A&E.

Paramedics have warned of the knock-on effect this has on their ability to get to people who are sick or injured quickly: latest figures show that more than a third of the most critically ill patients have waited eight minutes or more for a 999 response. Richard Webber from the Royal College of Paramedics has warned that ambulance diversions cause delays in reaching “seriously ill and injured patients”.

The Nuffield Trust think tank compiled figures from official NHS data which revealed that there were almost 500 diverts from December to February. Professor John Appleby of the Nuffield Trust said these issues need to be tackled as an “urgent priority” for patient care; he also explained that there is a worryingly low level of morale amongst ambulance staff due to the problems.

The Royal College of Nurses commented “This is not the quality of care that anybody is comfortable with providing or patients deserve.”

Divya Anand states:

“This is yet another example of how limited resources and lack of staff is causing unnecessary delays in providing treatment to those who are seriously ill. It is worrying to hear that ambulance crews are being prevented from responding quickly to other calls as they are being turned away from Accident and Emergency departments and being diverted to different hospitals. Hopefully these issues are prioritised and resolved soon.”

Divya Anand is a solicitor in the Clinical Negligence Department at Duncan Lewis. Divya is able to assist those who have suffered a serious and debilitating injury as a result of substandard care provided by a GP, doctor, or other medical staff.

Duncan Lewis Clinical Negligence Solicitors

The Duncan Lewis Clinical Negligence team has significant experience acting in a vast array of claims including accident and emergency failures, GP negligence claims, misdiagnosed fractures and other medical conditions and wrongful death claims. They also act for children and adults who have suffered profound and permanent brain, spinal or neurological injuries and associated disabilities as a consequence of failings in medical care in both NHS and private hospitals. If you believe your doctor has made a mistake and wish to claim compensation or have any questions about treatment you have received, please do not hesitate to contact our team of specialist clinical negligence solicitors on 0333 772 0409.

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