Scores of patients in ambulances hit by A&E delays

ALMOST 150 sick patients had to wait more than an hour to be seen by A&E teams after being taken to hospitals in Greater Manchester by ambulance ona single day this month, according to new published data.

- PAUL BRITTON

It comes as data shows one in five ambulance patients in England waited more than an hour to be handed over to emergency care teams last week, as hospitals continue to struggle with bed shortages and a surge in winter viruses.

The figure is down from nearly one in four the previous week, partly due to industrial action by ambulance workers on December 21.

Newly-published statistics also show a surge in the number of flu patients in hospital in England has continued, with numbers rising 79 per cent in the last week. An average of 3,746 people with flu were in hospital across the seven days to December 25, up week on week from 2,088, according to NHS England. The number was just 772 at the start of the month.

The figures come as the NHS in Greater Manchester faced another day of pressure yesterday, with bosses continuing to urge people to avoid A&E unless faced with a life-threatening condition or illness.

Northern Care Alliance, which runs four hospitals and community services within Salford, Oldham, Bury and Rochdale, raised a Business Continuity Incident’ on Thursday due to the pressure being faced.