NHS East of England ambulances taking up to 20 hours to reach patients

Staff at the East of England Ambulance Service say their ambulances are facing ’20 hour delays’ to reach some non-critical patients, adding that they have also not been responding to some lower category calls due to pressures.

 

Tom Abell, chief executive of the trust, said “We are currently experiencing some of the most significant and sustained pressures in recent years.”

 

A spokesperson from the trust confirmed that it had a protocol in place known as Emergency Operations Centre Standard Operating Procedure (ESOP) 48, where a temporary suspension of sending ambulances to category 3 and 4 calls is brought in.

 

Dr Rab McEwan, chief operating officer for IC24, one of the main providers of NHS 111 services in the east of England, said “IC24 supports the East of England Ambulance Service Trust at these times of unprecedented pressure on paramedic services across the country, and we would urge all members of the public to use the full range of alternative non-emergency services other than 999, including our 111 service.”

 

Chief executive of the ambulance service, Tom Abell, said they were taking steps to respond to the pressures “in partnership with our partners across the NHS”, adding “This includes strengthening clinical triage within our control centres so we can make sure we see the most clinically urgent patients, increasing the number of patients who we send to other NHS services where they do not require an ambulance, and taking steps to increase the number of ambulances we have available, such as offering additional overtime and working with private ambulance providers.”

 

Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events.  Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.

 

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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

 

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