Greater Manchester's NHS appears to be creaking under pressure as it deals with 'extremely busy' emergency departments, ambulances queueing up outside A&Es, and the region's ambulance service declaring its version of a 'black alert'. The huge demand typically relents in the summer giving the NHS precious time to recover before winter hits again, but challenges remain as the health services battles through a heatwave.
This morning, July 12, North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) raised its operational pressure levels to the Resource Escalation Action Plan (REAP) level four - commonly known as a 'critical incident'. Level four is the highest available, and 'indicates a potential for failures' within ambulances services as they try to cope with 'extreme pressure', according to the national NHS framework.
As paramedics struggle to meet the demand as patients call for help, hospitals are too sounding alarm bells, with ambulances spotted lining up outside one of the region's A&Es. However, the Manchester Evening News understands that hospitals across Greater Manchester have not declared critical incidents in response to the rising temperatures.
