Paramedics say they are arriving at work this week to face more than 100 patients who are waiting for an ambulance. On Tuesday, the North West Ambulance Service ( NWAS ) declared it would escalate to its highest level of alert as heatwave pressures pile yet more demand on an already overstretched system.
The numbers of 999 callers waiting for hours are at ‘New Year’s Eve’ levels on a daily basis, according to paramedics from across the North West emergency service. The long waiting times, as ambulance crews deal with 21 per cent more urgent life-threatening calls compared to this time last month, is leading some staff members to raise concerns about patient safety - fearing that patients are being left without aid for ‘hours’ in emergencies.
The ambulance crisis comes as hospitals, too, are urging people to only come to A&E if they have an emergency or life-threatening condition. Health chiefs at two of Greater Manchester’s hospitals are reporting that their emergency departments are very busy, with waits of longer than four hours.
