Ambulance service handover delays increase again

The service failed to meet its targets for a second consecutive month

Hold-ups linked to the handover of East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) patients to hospitals have increased again.

There were 12,872 ambulance service hours lost hours in May - 3,618 hours over target.

A further 13,084 hours were lost in June, marking two consecutive months above target.

Delays at Northamptonshire hospitals accounted for 25% of all lost hours, with Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) second highest at 18.5% and Leicester hospitals at 15%.

In daily terms, 436 hours were lost a day in June to handovers greater than 15 minutes, which is an improvement on the 620 hours lost a day in February for the same timeframe.

The service, which covers Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire, discussed the figures at a board meeting on Tuesday.

It heard that the service had been facing increased pressures linked to busy hospitals taking longer to accept ambulance patients when crews arrive at accident and emergency departments, which in turn can affect response times.

The news follows a coroner's verdict that action was needed after a "significant" ambulance delay contributed to a man's death.

EMAS chief executive Richard Henderson questioned whether the delays in Northamptonshire were down to the hospitals or other trusts in the region improving.

Ben Holdaway, EMAS director of operations, said: “A combination of both, it’s fair to say NUH has got better, as has Leicester.”

However, hospitals across the region appear to fall victim to random incident and patient spikes, with a "lack of resources" driving up handover wait times.

Mr Holdaway said: “We saw hospitals struggle to cope… there’s just no fat on the bone, you can’t afford even a bad couple of days.”