Scarborough: Ambulances queue at hospital due to A&E pressures

Some of the paramedics had responded to 999 calls hours ago, a GMB Union member claimed

Paramedics are waiting "for several hours" to drop patients off at an A&E department, a union member has said.

Video filmed by Deanne Ferguson, from the GMB Union, showed a line of ambulances outside Scarborough Hospital on Monday evening.

She claimed nurses were treating patients in the back of ambulances.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service said there were handover delays at hospitals while the hospital trust said it was under "extreme pressure".

At one point 14 ambulances were queueing up to drop patients off at the A&E department, Ms Ferguson said.

Targets for hospital trusts state handovers should take place within 60 minutes, with 95% taking place within 30 minutes, and 65% taking place within 15 minutes.

"We saw paramedics who had responded to 999 calls several hours ago still waiting to drop patients off inside the A&E," Ms Ferguson said.

Nurses were seeing people in the back of the vehicles to decide who should be prioritised, it was claimed.

"It was something we've never seen before, but, apparently, this is the norm," she added.

York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the "extreme pressure" at the hospitals was having an impact at A&E.

"High numbers of patients waiting to be discharged who no longer need to be in hospital results in patients waiting longer for beds to become available," a spokesperson said.

Assessments by nurses in the back of ambulances was done to "maximise patient safety", with the sickest patients being prioritised, the spokesperson added.

Nick Smith, Executive Director of Operations at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said staff were working with partners to address the issue with slower-than-expected handovers at busy hospitals.