Unacceptable Wait Times for Ambulance Services

Unacceptable wait times for ambulance services could lead to a rise in ambulance negligence claims.

According to NHS data, ambulance callouts for conditions such as heart attacks and strokes are taking nearly three times as long as they should in England.

Targets are also being missed across the rest of the UK, with some seriously-ill patients waiting up to 9 hours for an ambulance.

Winter is always a busy time for the ambulance service and the NHS, but the added pressure of Coronavirus may mean some patients will have to wait longer for an ambulance.

Unacceptable Wait Times for Ambulance Services

Wait times for ambulance services are measured on the time it takes from the operator receiving a 999 call to the ambulance arriving at the patient’s location. If a patient’s condition is life threatening or an emergency it should take 8 minutes for the ambulance to arrive.

However, there appears to be several reasons why the ambulance service isn’t achieving its targets:

  • Significant increase in 999 calls. There were 1.3 million 999 calls made in England in October 2021, which is an increase of 273,025 calls compared to the same period last year.
  • Hospitals have reported difficulties discharging medically fit patients because there is no social care available to support them in the community.
  • As a result, there are serious delays admitting patients onto wards, meaning patients are having to be treated in the back of ambulances outside hospitals.

There are growing reports and investigations into patients dying due to delays in a number of areas.

A serious incident recently happened outside Worcestershire Royal Hospital when a patient died following cardiac arrest after waiting more than 5 hours in the back of an ambulance. Another serious incident was reported in the East of England after it took the ambulance service an hour to arrive at an immediately life-threatening call and he individual was found dead.

Ambulance Negligence Claims

The ambulance service and paramedics provide urgent care to patients experiencing medical emergencies. It’s their responsibility to triage and treat patients in a potentially life-threatening or difficult situation.

A patient is dependent on the ambulance service and paramedics getting to them quickly and providing safe, effective and responsive care to protect their health and ensure their condition doesn’t worsen.

Unfortunately, there are instances where the ambulance service and paramedics make mistakes, which can have a significant and devastating impact on the patient’s life and their family’s lives.

Examples of ambulance and paramedic negligence include, but are not limited to:

  • Delays and slow response time to an emergency
  • Failure to provide emergency and/or appropriate treatment
  • Failure to correctly identify symptoms and carry out correct observations
  • Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of a medical condition
  • Delay in providing treatment or failure to admit to hospital

If you or a loved one’s health has suffered due to mistakes made by paramedics and the ambulance service, you may be entitled to make an ambulance service claim. Contact our team of experienced medical negligence experts on 033 3344 9600 to discuss making a claim for ambulance negligence.

Experienced Medical Negligence Solicitors

Morrish Solicitors have an experienced team of Medical Negligence Solicitors specialising in ambulance and paramedic negligence. We offer a free 30-minute consultation to discuss the alleged negligence and assess if we think you have sufficient prospects to pursue a claim. Contact us on 033 3344 9600 or simply email [email protected] with details of your request and a member of our team will contact you regarding your potential claim.

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