Ambulance handover delays continue in Shropshire with two wards full of Covid patients
A health boss has apologised for the significant delays seen by ambulances handing over patients at Shropshire's main hospitals.
Mark Brandreth, interim accountable officer for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group, has also apologised to anyone who has been impacted by the unprecedented demand on the hospitals.
Earlier this week, a West Midlands Ambulance Service call handler warned the service is "on its knees" as hospital delays leave staff having to play "Russian roulette" on who gets help – and who does not.
WMAS recently revealed its frustrations with patients being put at "catastrophic risk" as a result of handover delays at hospitals in the region – some more than 10 hours for a single patient.
Mr Brandreth says the county's hospitals also currently have two wards full of Covid patients and he has appealed for people to play their part to help ease the pressures on urgent care services.
He said: “We offer our sincere apologies to anyone impacted by the pressures facing our urgent care system right now across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin.
"The delays caused by ambulances having to wait outside emergency departments are not acceptable and we are doing all we can to improve the situation.
“It is important to acknowledge that this is a national issue. What we are seeing within our services is being replicated in health and care systems right across the country, with unprecedented demand for services.
“Like all areas of the country, we are still having to deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Right now, we have two wards full of Covid patients within our hospitals. There is pressure on our health services in the community and within the social care sector."
He said there was "no single quick and easy solution" to this challenge, but organisations are working together as a health and care system to look at how to reduce delays and ensure people get the right care in the right place at the right time.
“We ask that everyone in our community plays their part in helping to ease the pressure on our urgent care services," he added.
"This starts with thinking about whether you really need to go to A&E.
"You can get support with self-care via the NHS app and can also access expert advice and guidance via NHS 111 online.
"Your local pharmacist will be able to advise you on many common conditions and provide over-the-counter medicines and treatments. And of course, you can also contact your GP.
“It is also vital that people continue to be aware of the risks of Covid, with prevalence in our community currently being extremely high. We encourage you to continue to wash your hands regularly, wear a mask in busy public spaces and to make sure you are getting your Covid vaccine – including the booster jab if you are eligible.
“We are coming into the winter period, which is traditionally the time when health services come under the most intense pressure.
"We all need to work together to protect and strengthen those services.”
Hospitals chiefs at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust say they are undertaking major investment to increase the trust’s urgent and emergency care capacity, including a £9.3m expansion of the emergency department at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, while they say the Future Fit shake-up plans will help address pressures in the long term.
