Hundreds of patients were stuck in ambulances for more than an hour, waiting to be admitted to scarce hospital beds over Christmas in Greater Manchester.
One in every 14 of those arriving to hospital by ambulance during the festive season had to wait over an hour before being admitted to both emergency and non-emergency departments. The figures come as Greater Manchester’s hospitals are being hit hard by flu sweeping the country.
Yesterday alone (January 6), face masks were reintroduced to Royal Bolton Hospital in a bid to control the spread of the illness. Stepping Hill Hospital warned of severe pressure on its A&E department.
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Meanwhile, senior NHS figures on the frontline have told how – in the days before Christmas and during this weekend’s cold snap – spare hospital beds have been in dangerously short supply. It has led to ‘severe overcrowding’ even in some of the region’s biggest A&Es.
The country is facing what the NHS has described as a ‘tidal wave’ of Covid-19, flu, RSV and norovirus – also dubbed a ‘quad-demic’ by health bosses. The health service has warned this winter flu season could be its worst ever as cases continue to soar, with Greater Manchester seeing almost three times the number of people in hospital with flu compared to this time last year.
An average of 4,469 patients were in England’s hospitals with flu in the week ending Sunday December 29, according to the latest official figures. That’s five-times as many cases as the same time last year when there were an average of 942 in hospital with flu, and is more than double the average at the same time in 2022 when there were 2,088 flu patients in hospital.
A total of 4,102 people spent Christmas Day in hospital with flu this year, while the number of patients peaked on Sunday when there were 5,074. Greater Manchester is also experiencing far more cases this year.
There were an average of 197.3 patients in the region’s hospital beds in the week ending December 29. That’s up from 150.7 a week earlier and is almost three times as many as the same time last year when there was an average of 69.4. In 2022 however, there were an average of 406.4 patients in hospital with flu over the same seven day period.
The huge demand means the queue for already-scarce beds can be days long, say doctors and nurses on the frontline. Patients have often been left waiting more than 20 hours in A&E for a hospital bed, including those who are in their 80s and 90s, while paramedics are waiting for hours to offload patients.
“On top of flu there is also continual pressure from Covid, while RSV and norovirus hospital cases are also higher than last year,” NHS chiefs have warned -Credit:Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror
There were a total of 5,477 arrivals by ambulance at NHS hospitals in Greater Manchester in the week ending December 29, according to the latest government figures. That’s at both emergency and non-emergency departments.
One in every 14 (7%) of those, a total of 400 patients, had to wait over an hour before being admitted.
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust had the worst record in Greater Manchester, with 13% of arrivals by ambulance (around one in eight) having a handover delay of over an hour. That’s a total of 70 patients over the week.
A total of 189 arrivals at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Salford Royal Hospital, Fairfield General Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary, and the Royal Oldham Hospital, had delays of over an hour in the week ending December 29. That works out at one in every nine arrivals (11%).
At Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Royal Bolton Hospital, 61 arrivals by ambulance had to wait over an hour (10% of the total). At Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, operating Stepping Hill Hospital, the ratio was five per cent.
At Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, running Tameside Hospital, it was just under five per cent.
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust was the best performing in the region despite running the most hospitals in the country, including all the hospitals in Manchester and Trafford. Just 29 arrivals had to wait over an hour to be admitted, which works out at just under 2% of all arrivals.
The situation in Greater Manchester is better than in England as a whole, however. One in every eight (13%) arrivals by ambulance at English NHS hospitals – a total of 12,229 patients – had handover delays of over an hour in the week ending December 29.
Patients arriving by ambulance face shorter delays at Greater Manchester trusts on average than in England as a whole. The average handover delay in England was 37 minutes in the week ending December 29. Though the average wait did go up to 54 minutes on the 29th itself.
The highest average delay at a Greater Manchester trust over the same time period was 33 minutes at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust. At Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust it was as little as 18 minutes.
Nationally, more than 12,000 patients were stuck in ambulances for over an hour waiting to be admitted to hospital over Christmas. The worst days of that period were on the 28th and 29th, when one in five patients had to wait over an hour to be admitted to hospital.
Professor Julian Redhead, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said: “These latest figures show the pressure from flu was nowhere near letting up before we headed into the New Year, skyrocketing to over 5,000 cases a day in hospital as of the end of last week and rising at a very concerning rate.
“On top of flu there is also continual pressure from Covid, while RSV and norovirus hospital cases are also higher than last year, with hospitals putting in place an extra 1,300 beds last week than the same time last year in expectation of this continued pressure from viruses and other demand.
“With what looks like an extreme cold snap expected right across England ahead of the weekend, we know the low temperatures can be dangerous for those who are vulnerable or have respiratory conditions so if you are at risk, do try and keep warm and make sure you are stocked up on any regular medication.
“Please continue to use NHS 111 and 111 online if you need advice and support for health conditions, and only use 999 or attend A&E in life-threatening emergencies.”
Colin Scales, deputy chief executive at NHS Greater Manchester said: “Demand for NHS services is always higher in January, with a significant increase in illnesses such as flu, respiratory infections, and other winter-related conditions. These pressures are expected and we plan for them to ensure that the NHS is prepared with staff working hard to ensure that patients receive the care they need.
“Across Greater Manchester, the NHS is working with local councils and partners in the community to quickly and safely discharge patients who no longer need to be in hospital, ensuring beds are available for those requiring urgent care. We are also working alongside the North West Ambulance Service to manage delays and speed up patient transfers. All steps are being taken to ensure patients receive the care they need promptly and safely.
“We are committed to providing safe, high-quality care, and our dedicated staff are working hard to support patients during this challenging period. Please follow NHS guidance on where to seek help to ensure we can continue delivering the best care possible to those who need it most. NHS 111 can help by providing expert advice and guidance, directing people to the most appropriate care based on their needs.”