Southwest Ambulance became the second service in two days to describe the critical incident as “emergency pressure” after the Christmas holidays, leaving hundreds of people waiting for an ambulance.
As of 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, 482 patients were waiting for ambulances in the southwest of England and 106 patients were waiting to be transferred to hospitals, according to the Trust.
COO Wayne Darch said people with non-life-threatening conditions could be referred to “alternative service” – urging patients to go to the ward with minor injuries rather than calling an ambulance “for urgent but non-life-threatening conditions and injuries, such as “. “z Sprains, fractures and burns”.
He said: “Please help us serve the patients who need us most by calling 999 only if the patient has a life-threatening condition or illness.
He added: “If the patient’s condition is not life-threatening, we can refer him to an alternative service. Please help us by contacting the right service to get the care you need.
“We are doing our best to cope with this winter pressure and regret that we cannot help some patients as quickly as we would like. We will come to you as soon as possible.
“Please do not call back just to ask when the ambulance will arrive. We cannot offer anything and this blocks our lines for other subscribers.
“I would like to once again thank our staff and all of our NHS partners who are working to ensure that patients receive the best possible care during the holidays.”
It comes a day after the Northeast Ambulance Service (NEAS) reported a critical incident for the second time in nine days, also citing “unprecedented pressure since the Christmas break.”
Shane Woodhouse, NEAS strategic commander, said the patient transfer service is “only available for essential travel such as dialysis, chemotherapy, oncology and cardiac care” so that resources can be freed up for “the patients who need it most.”
The critical NEAS incident was halted at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, but the agency warned that “due to increased pressure faced by all health services in the region, a number of measures are still in place.”
Most emergency services in England last week reported critical incidents ahead of strikes by NHS workers and increased demand over the Christmas period.
The second day of the strike was due to be held by paramedics on Wednesday, but was canceled by the GMB union to allow the public to “enjoy Christmas without too much fear.”
Critical incidents are defined by the National Health Service as “any localized incident where the magnitude of the disruption causes an organization to temporarily or permanently lose its ability to provide critical services, patients may be injured, or the surrounding area is unsafe and requires special care and assistance.” required from other authorities. Agencies to resume normal operation.”
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.