A third of ambulance workers have personally witnessed patient deaths linked to delays, according to a new survey. "A decade of savage cuts, an explosion in demand and ambulance workers leaving in droves has left the service on the edge of disaster," says one union.
One third of ambulance workers have been involved with cases where a patient’s death was linked to delay, according to a GMB Union survey for ITV. The findings of the poll, shown in ITV’s Tonight programme tomorrow, airing tomorrow (Jul 28), also reveal that 85 per cent of ambulance workers have witnessed delays which have seriously affected a patient’s recovery.
Some 82 per cent feel the current pressure puts them at an unacceptable level of stress. And 72 per cent of ambulance workers have considered leaving the service.
Across the country, paramedics are battling long waiting times for patients, being forced to keep them inside their vehicles. Meanwhile, inside the hospitals, medics are crying out for help as demand on emergency departments continues to soar from both those calling 999 and coming into A&E themselves.
The NHS system is being crippled by a severe shortage of inpatient beds on wards, leaving people languishing in ambulances and in A&E for hours, becoming detrimental to their condition. A significant number of patients who are fit enough to go home are stuck in beds as they, in turn, wait for the right social care to come free in order for them to be safely released.
Hospitals in Greater Manchester have, this week, seen huge demand .On Friday, July 22, the Royal Bolton Hospital’s A&E had a sign reading: "There is currently a 40+ hour [wait] for a medical bed. There are six beds only left throughout the entire hospital.
"We have no beds/cubicles in A&E due to no movement. If you are waiting for a ward, you will be in our waiting room for numerous hours. If you require food, drink, medication or wish to leave, please go through to speak to medical staff."
GMB research shows ambulance calls have almost doubled to 14 million a year since 2010. The union is campaigning for proper, long-term investment in the ambulance service, including increased staffing and a real terms pay rise for ambulance workers.
Rachel Harrison, GMB National Officer said: “These horrifying figures confirm exactly what GMB members are telling us. A decade of savage cuts, an explosion in demand and ambulance workers leaving in droves has left the service on the edge of disaster.
“Public services have been slashed across the board, leaving ambulance workers desperately trying stem the flow of humanity. Our members face unbelievable stress and even abuse, while demand is rising ten times faster than resources.
“We urgently need proper long-term investment – primarily in the workers themselves – before even more lives are lost.”
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