A Unison survey reveals severe delays in emergency department handovers in England, culminating in patient deaths due to prolonged waiting times outside hospitals. Nearly 600 ambulance workers reported an alarming increase in time spent waiting, with 77% having cared for patients in ambulances and many reporting deteriorating health among patients. The target for patient handovers is 15 minutes, yet many paramedics wait for excessive durations, with significant repercussions for patient care and professional morale.
More than three-quarters (77%) of paramedics and emergency medical technicians said they have had to look after people in the back of ambulances in the past year while stuck outside emergency departments.
The target for ambulance crews to hand over patients to emergency departments is 15 minutes, with no handover meant to take longer than half an hour. Yet, many waits exceed six hours.
Collection
[
|
...
]