Gloucestershire: Probe launched into hospital delays during hot weather

Ambulances have been waiting to hand over patients for several hours

An official investigation is being launched into severe hospital delays which have resulted in queues of up to 25 ambulances waiting to transfer patients during hot weather.

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) lost around 10,000 hours waiting to hand over patients in Gloucestershire last week.

Ambulance chiefs said the service is under "intense and sustained" pressure.

Gloucestershire County Council has agreed to investigate the problems.

Chairman Andrew Gravells told the council 's health overview and scrutiny committee committee on 12 July that the situation was "really brought home" to him when he recently visited Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

He said there were dozens of ambulances waiting to hand over patients in the heat.

"When I had to walk from the car park to the X-ray and imaging department, as usual, there were about 25 ambulances stacked up.

SWASFT said handover delays remain their biggest challenge

"And to see people on IV drips, with oxygen masks...walking through that into Gloucestershire Royal was quite an upsetting thing."

Ellen Rule, Gloucestershire Integrated Care System strategy and transformation director, explained what is being done to improve the situation.

She said they work closely with the ambulance service, the hospitals and social care sector and will be undertaking a strategic review which will look at the whole system.

"As well as the strategic review, we have a whole system action plan which ensures we work together to deliver the improvements to flow and performance across our urgent and emergency care system," she told the committee.

Mr Gravells said they need to review the "system flow" as soon as possible.