Britain is in an ‘Uber-ambulance crisis’ as new figures reveal half a million ‘urgent’ patients were forced to take themselves to A&E last year
- Last year, more than 500,000 emergency patients came to the emergency department independently
The number of patients who go to the emergency department on their own and need ‘very urgent’ care has increased enormously.
At least 504,276 such patients arrived at emergency departments on foot or by private or public transport last year, amid the ‘shocking’ crisis in ambulance response times.
This figure was 11,500 (2.4 percent) higher than in 2022 and 141,000 (38.9 percent) higher than in 2019, according to data released under freedom of information laws. The increase was especially sharp among people over 65: an increase of 45.4 percent since 2019 to 96,000 last year.
Ambulance services have repeatedly failed to meet response targets, with patients suffering heart attacks and strokes waiting too long for paramedics to arrive.
In York and Scarborough, 7,669 ‘code 2’ patients – requiring ‘very urgent emergency care’ – did not arrive in an ambulance at A&E last year, compared to 808 in 2019. Hull reported a 514 per cent increase from 196 to 1,203. while figures for Hillingdon, west London, almost doubled to 16,699.
The number of patients who go to the emergency department on their own and need ‘very urgent’ care has increased enormously (File Image)
Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dems health and social care spokesperson, accused the Tories of creating an ‘Uber-ambulance crisis’.
Only 53 of the 140 NHS trusts responded with complete data to the Liberal Democrats’ request, meaning the actual number of people affected is likely to be much higher.
Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dems health and social care spokesperson, accused the Tories of creating an ‘Uber-ambulance crisis’. She said that ‘more and more people needing urgent care are making their own way to A&E rather than risking painful wait times’, adding: ‘Behind each of these statistics is someone who is in pain and are afraid that they will not get the care they need. on time.
‘We urgently need investment in our emergency services and more beds in our hospitals so that patients in need know that an ambulance will arrive on time.’
Paramedics must arrive within 18 minutes for ‘category two’ calls, including potential victims of a heart attack or stroke.
But the average in March was 33 minutes and 50 seconds, with one in ten waiting over an hour. For ‘category 1’ calls, where a patient’s heart has stopped or is not breathing, the target is seven minutes, but the average was eight minutes and 20 seconds, with one in 10 waiting almost 15 minutes.
At least 504,276 such patients arrived at emergency departments on foot or by private or public transport last year, amid the ‘shocking’ crisis in ambulance response times (File Image)
Rory Deighton, director of the NHS Confederation’s acute network, described the figures as ‘worrying’ and said long response times should not become ‘the new normal’.
Saffron Cordery of NHS Providers, which represents trusts, said demand for ambulance services is “through the roof” but trusts and staff continue to “work at full capacity”.
The Department of Health said there are ’50 per cent more ambulance staff than in 2010′ and that average waiting times for category two cases will be ‘more than 13 minutes faster in 2023/24 than the previous year’.
But Dr. Adrian Boyle, from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said the statistics were ‘shocking’.
He added: ‘It is deeply concerning that people have lost confidence in the system and are choosing to drive to hospital out of desperation.’