Hundreds of patients arriving in Yorkshire’s hospitals via ambulance are being delayed by more than an hour.
Latest NHS England figures show that across Yorkshire, around a third of patients are facing delays before being handed over to the hospital. This is despite national guidance expecting ambulance patients to be handed over to accident and emergency staff within 15 minutes.
It comes as ambulance handover times soared across England, with a health and social care think tank warning delays represent “a real safety risk for a lot of patients”, and urged the Government to “think long term” to address the issue. Across the country, 21 per cent of NHS handovers to hospitals in the week ending January 5 took longer than an hour, up from 13 per cent the previous week and 16 per cent over the same period the year before.
Meanwhile, 42 per cent of NHS handovers to hospitals took longer than half an hour, up from 32 per cent the previous week and 35 per cent over the same period the year before. Only 26 per cent of ambulance handovers in England took place within 15 minutes.
Here are the latest figures for every NHS trust in Yorkshire.
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
- Percentage taking more than 30 minutes to handover week ending January 5: 18%
- Compared to week ending December 29: 2%
- Percentage taking more than 30 minutes to handover same period last year: 19%
- Percentage of ambulance handovers taking less than 15 minutes: 56%
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Percentage taking more than 30 minutes to handover week ending January 5: 34%
- Compared to week ending December 29: 4%
- Percentage taking more than 30 minutes to handover same period last year: 16%
- Percentage of ambulance handovers taking less than 15 minutes: 35%
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Leeds General Infirmary is part of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Percentage taking more than 30 minutes to handover week ending January 5: 19%
- Compared to week ending December 29: 20%
- Percentage taking more than 30 minutes to handover same period last year: 13%
- Percentage of ambulance handovers taking less than 15 minutes: 38%
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover week ending January 5: 28%
- Compared to week ending December 29: 1%
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover same period last year: 5%
- Percentage of ambulance handovers taking less than 15 minutes: 34%
Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
Sheffield Children’s Hospital
(Image: Sheffield Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust)
- Percentage taking more than 30 minutes to handover week ending January 5: 5%
- Compared to week ending December 29: 0%
- Percentage taking more than 30 minutes to handover same period last year: 12%
- Percentage of ambulance handovers taking less than 15 minutes: 81%
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
(Image: Terry Robinson/Geograph)
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover week ending January 5: 20%
- Compared to week ending December 29: 14%
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover same period last year: 25%
- Percentage of ambulance handovers taking less than 15 minutes: 30%
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover week ending January 5: 49%
- Compared to week ending December 29: 32%
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover same period last year: 41%
- Percentage of ambulance handovers taking less than 15 minutes: 15%
York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals Trust
York hospital
(Image: Google maps)
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover week ending January 5: 33%
- Compared to week ending December 29: 30%
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover same period last year: 29%
- Percentage of ambulance handovers taking less than 15 minutes: 22%
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover week ending January 5: 29%
- Compared to week ending December 29: 25%
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover same period last year: 17%
- Percentage of ambulance handovers taking less than 15 minutes: 17%
Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover week ending January 5: 38%
- Compared to week ending December 29: 11%
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover same period last year: 17%
- Percentage of ambulance handovers taking less than 15 minutes: 28%
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
- Percentage taking more than 30 minutes to handover week ending January 5: 29%
- Compared to week ending December 29: 5%
- Percentage taking more than 30 minutes to handover same period last year: 46%
- Percentage of ambulance handovers taking less than 15 minutes: 39%
Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Barnsley Hospital’s Emergency Department
(Image: Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust)
- Percentage taking more than 30 minutes to handover week ending January 5: 32%
- Compared to week ending December 29: 27%
- Percentage taking more than 30 minutes to handover same period last year: 30%
- Percentage of ambulance handovers taking less than 15 minutes: 42%
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover week ending January 5: 22%
- Compared to week ending December 29: 19%
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover same period last year: 29%
- Percentage of ambulance handovers taking less than 15 minutes: 21%
Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
(Image: Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover week ending January 5: 27%
- Compared to week ending December 29: 15%
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover same period last year: 29%
- Percentage of ambulance handovers taking less than 15 minutes: 26%
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover week ending January 5: 25%
- Compared to week ending December 29: 5%
- Percentage taking more than an hour to handover same period last year: 14%
- Percentage of ambulance handovers taking less than 15 minutes: 25%
What the experts say
Danielle Jefferies, senior analyst at The King’s Fund, said ambulance handover delays “reflect pressures on the wider system”, and warned of the risks they represent for patients. She said: “It’s a real safety risk for a lot of patients, particularly those on the back of ambulances as they could be some of the sickest patients we have in the system.
“So, for them to be waiting 30 minutes, hours or even longer, is a real safety concern, and probably quite scary as well.”
She added longer ambulance handovers can also be “frustrating” for NHS staff who can wait hours with patients for them to be admitted instead of attending 999 calls. Jefferies urged the Government to focus on a long term solution to ease hospital backlogs and increase space for acute patients and ambulances.
A College of Paramedics spokesperson said they were “very concerned” this winter would be “another extremely difficult one for patients and our members”, and urged the Government to increase investment. They said: “The increase in hospital handover delays risks patient harm, leading to an inability to reach patients in the community.”
They called on the Government to “urgently address” issues faced by ambulance and emergency services, and to provide “desperately required and continued” investment.
An NHS spokesperson said there is “clearly much more still to do to reduce unacceptably long waits for patients in some areas of the country.” They said: “With increased demand and high bed occupancy in hospitals having a huge impact on handover times, NHS teams across the country are prioritising the sickest patients and doing all they can to prevent avoidable admissions.”
They said emergency services staff are under immense pressure and have worked “tirelessly” to anticipate this busy winter.
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