Ambulance staff in north Wales are resorting to booking taxis to transport patients to hospitals when no ambulances are available. Some people wait for hours on end with no signs of relief, and the worst of winter is yet to come. The Welsh government has instructed health commissioners to make “urgent improvements” and refine patient waits. Although the ambulance unit claims it is trying to find suitable solutions, some staff think otherwise. Many service workers feel that they’re leading an uphill struggle as winter approaches.
Delayed ambulance services mean that patients are forced to wait outside hospitals for long periods, some having to wait upwards of four hours for handover. In October, an average ambulance wait was eight minutes and 13 seconds, while only 48.5% of “red” calls were attended to within eight minutes. In addition, ambulance handover waits have risen as a result of Covid-19, with delays marked by backlogs in discharging patients due to the ongoing social care pressures.
To alleviate long wait periods, the Betsi Cadwaladr health board has adopted various cautionary measures and claims that doctors liaise with paramedics to assess patients after they’ve lingered outside hospitals for a long time. However, the body claims that a few factors causing delays are beyond its control. The Welsh government has asked health boards to make improvements
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