Ambulances forced to queue "Not Uncommon"

3.40.00pm GMT Tue 8th Feb 2005

Following a day where the Royal Gwent Hospital was forced to turn away all but the most urgent cases, a leading Assembly Member has today described the situation of ambulances forced to queue outside Gwent's major Hospital as 'not uncommon'.

Michael German AM said, "An increasing number of constituents have been contacting me about delays in ambulance response times. In all of these cases this has been due to local ambulances being forced to queue outside the entrance to the Accident & Emergency department of the Royal Gwent Hospital."

"Recently, I have taken to counting the number of ambulances parked outside and in most cases there are at least three, four and sometimes as many as six. This is an unacceptable proportion of Gwent's ambulance fleet stuck at the hospital unable to respond to emergency calls."

Mr German has called on Health Minister Brian Gibbons to act speedily to ease the situation. He said: "Only people who have had an accident or an emergency should be presenting at our A&E departments. Too many are attending who do not need to be there. This tells me that people cannot get access to GPs or other medical services."

"At present the ambulance service must respond to all 999 calls and take people to hospital. It is quite clear that the paramedic crews should have the option on how and where they take their patients. They need to have the option of taking people with general injuries to 24 hour 'walk-in centres' and take critical ill patients to Accident and Emergency."

Mr German is due to visit a nurse-led walk-in centre in Southampton next week which successfully treats thousands of patients every month, without putting extra pressure on A&E departments. "Walk-in centres could play a part in reducing the numbers who are presenting in A&E. The Health Minister has said he is willing to learn from policies that are working in England - well this is one such policy where we could benefit greatly. He must give it urgent consideration."

Ambulances are being forced to queue at hospitals

Furthermore, bed blocking is a major problem in Gwent. Introducing free personal care for the elderly will ensure people are set free from the fear of maybe having to sell their home to pay for the care they need. Local authorities in Gwent must now work harder to ensure that social services work 'hand in glove' with the health service to ensure people can be discharged home with the care they required, thus freeing up desperately needed beds."

Notes:

The Welsh Liberal Democrat pre-manifesto, which was published in November, pledges to cut waiting times and introduce free personal care, to reduce bed blocking in our hospitals. The Liberal Democrats are also advocating the establishment of 24-hour clinics to treat non-critical cases to free up resources and beds in Accident and Emergency department sin Wales. This would allow paramedic crews to decide where to transport people, to 24-hour clinics or Accident & Emergency, as appropriate.