Ambulance bosses have urged the NHS to treat patients in corridors as emergency vehicles are forced to queue for up to ten hours outside hospitals.
Figures from NHS England show that almost 29,000 hours were lost last week due to delays in transferring patients arriving at A&E by ambulance.
One in three patients had to wait longer than 30 minutes, while one in seven had to wait more than an hour. The target time is 15 minutes.
Daren Mochrie, chairman of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, said while it was “not ideal”, admitting patients into corridors would be better than leaving them in the backs of ambulances.
NHS bosses blame a lack of space in hospitals, fueled by striking trainee doctors, for reducing the capacity to discharge patients and free up beds.
NHS England figures show almost 29,000 hours were lost last week due to delays in transferring patients arriving at A&E by ambulance
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Mr Mochrie told it The times: 'If that patient were to deteriorate, the department would be full of nurses and doctors. There is a greater risk for a patient who is waiting for an ambulance in the house or on the street, is seriously injured by chest pain or has had a serious accident or whatever, and does not have doctors with him or near them and is waiting for the ambulance.'
Health care bosses need to recognize that and “make the right decisions,” he said.
NHS rules state that transfers must be completed within 15 minutes and that no transfer should take longer than an hour.
Long transfer delays can leave ambulances queuing outside hospitals for hours, rather than responding to incoming calls.
The latest health service data shows that in the week to December 17, ambulances lost 28,966 hours to transfer delays that took more than 30 minutes.
However, this is down from 46,085 hours during the same week last year, which was considered the worst NHS winter crisis in a generation.
In terrifying scenes, military personnel were called upon to drive ambulances during strikes and waits of up to 30 hours in A&E, with patients treated in corridors and sleeping on the floor due to Dickensian overcrowding.
Meanwhile, a third of patients who arrived at the hospital by ambulance last week had to wait more than half an hour before being transferred to the emergency department.
One in seven ambulance transfers – 14 per cent or 12,196 patients – were delayed by more than an hour, down from the 24 per cent reported at this stage in 2022.
Delays in transfer indicate serious pressure on the NHS as it means there is a mismatch between capacity in hospitals and demand for emergency care.
The NHS experiences a surge in demand every year due to an influx of seasonal diseases such as flu and winter vomiting norovirus. Chronic conditions that are worsened by cold weather, such as respiratory diseases, add even more pressure.
NHS figures show that 96 per cent of hospital beds were taken up last week, the second highest ever. This is despite staff rushing to free beds ahead of strikes by trainee doctors and ensure patients get home in time for Christmas.
Last week, an average of more than 12,700 (12,728) beds were filled every day by patients awaiting discharge – also known as bed blockers. The health service blames a lack of capacity in social care for patients having to spend longer in hospital.
Health leaders have warned that strikes by junior doctors this week will further worsen the problem.
Health Minister Victoria Atkins warned earlier this week that the strikeswill mean that people will stay in hospital longer than if the strikes had not happened, because hospitals cannot discharge them.'
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NHS bosses had already warned that hospitals will only operate at full capacity for four weekdays until January 10. Only December 27, 28, 29 and January 2 are not affected by the impending chaos of the holidays and strikes until January 10.
She launched one crackdown on five of the worst-performing NHS trusts, summons bosses with the longest A&E wait times and ambulance transfers to a meeting.
It is understood the CEOs of University Hospitals Plymouth Trust, Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, Gloucestershire Hospitals FT, The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust and Worcester Hospital attended the virtual meeting with the Secretary of State.
It followed reports that emergency patients in some areas were being forced to wait in ambulances for up to 10 hours, while hospitals were prioritizing existing patients.
A source close to the health minister said they were told 'in no uncertain terms' that their performance was not acceptable and that they would be closely monitored this winter.
The source said: 'The Foreign Secretary has made it abundantly clear to senior management that they need to substantiate their ideas this winter.
'The managers accepted they had all the resources they needed from the department and the NHSE, but failed to achieve their objectives and let their local communities down.
'It's frankly unfair that patients in these areas face the longest delays due to poor management – whether that's sitting in an ambulance, in A&E or waiting to be discharged from the ward for Christmas to go home.'
Junior doctors started a 72-hour strike at 7am on Wednesday, which will conclude tomorrow morning. The medics will return two days before Christmas before embarking on a massive six-day break from January 3.
It comes after weeks of promising talks between ministers and members of the British Medical Association (BMA), which is co-ordinating the drive, collapsed.
Ministers had initially offered trainee doctors a pay rise of an average of 8.8 percent for the 2023/2024 financial year.
However, the increase was larger for first-year doctors, who received a boost of 10.3 percent.
Junior doctors in their first year now have a basic salary of £32,300, while those with three years' experience earn £43,900. The oldest earn £63,100.
Ministers insisted this was the final offer, despite weeks of devastating strikes by trainee doctors since March.
But Ms Atkins offered medics a further 3 per cent on top of this increase.
Dr. However, Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, who co-chair the BMA's junior doctors committee, said this amount was still 'completely insufficient' and pressed ahead with further strikes.
The BMA has claimed that trainee doctors have seen their wages fall by more than a quarter in real terms since 2008.
Trainee doctors have demanded full pay reinstatement – worth around 35 percent – and have said they would not settle for anything less.
However, senior figures within the union have suggested they could reach a compromise.
After talks broke down, Ms Atkins said the union walked away from the table before presenting its “final offer”.
Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, warned yesterday that the January action planned by trainee doctors will pose a 'dramatic risk' to patients.
He said hospital staffing levels seen during this week's industrial action will not be “sustainable” next month.
Most doctors are already “dreading” the first week of January as it is typically the most challenging week of the year and services are “already facing huge demand”, Mr Mortimer said.
In a letter to Professor Philip Banfield, chairman of the BMA council, Mr Mortimer called on the union to grant more exemptions when doctors could cross picket lines to help.
Professor Banfield said the BMA is 'strongly committed to ensuring patients are safe during strikes'.