A total of 25 ambulances were reportedly waiting at one point
Ambulances were pictured outside the hospital last week
Hospital staff were allegedly in tears during a busy weeknight shift that reportedly saw patients waiting hours to be admitted. One young boy was allegedly “rushed” into Leicester Royal Infirmary for “resuscitation” but had to be flown to a Nottingham hospital an hour later due to lack of resources.
Councillor Zuffar Haq made the claims at last night’s (Tuesday, November 4) meeting of Leicester City Council’s health scrutiny committee. According to Liberal Democrat member, there were more than 25 ambulances waiting outside Leicester’s emergency department (ED) at one point last Thursday night (October 30).
He claimed he knew of one 95-year-old patient who waiting in the back of an ambulance for 5.5 hours that evening. Coun Haq is calling for an extraordinary health scrutiny meeting to be arranged with local healthcare bosses to discuss the incident and wider winter pressures on the NHS.
Coun Haq told the meeting: “There was a queue of ambulances outside the A&E department. Over 25. It came to a standstill.
“There was a 95-year-old patient left in an ambulance for over five and a half hours. There was also a child who had to be rushed in to be resuscitated and they didn’t have enough space in [the resuscitation ward] and he had to then be airlifted to Nottingham an hour later because there just wasn’t the resources […]
“Staff were quite upset. Some of them were seen crying by patients inside the A&E department just because of the sheer pressure they were under. I just feel that, while Rome is burning, we need to be doing something about this.”
Ambulances were seen waiting on Infirmary Road(Image: Dylan Hayward)
The Local Democracy Reporting Service put Coun Haq’s claims to the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL), which runs the city’s three hospitals. The trust has neither confirmed nor denied the accuracy of them.
A spokesman did say that local hospitals had seen an eight per cent increase in demand in October alone, compared to previous months. He added that patients are seen based on the urgency of their clinical needs, and those arriving by ambulance have their observations taken within 15 minutes of arriving and are seen within 30 minutes by a clinician.
The LDRS also asked what the trust and other healthcare partners are doing to support the emergency department going into winter – typically a time of heightened pressure for hospitals due to seasonal illnesses.
Gang Xu, deputy medical director at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said: “Like many hospitals across the country, we’re experiencing increased pressure as we head into the busy winter period. Attendances at our Emergency Department have risen, and more people are requiring care – these pressures are being compounded by an early increase in seasonal viruses. This has unfortunately led to longer waits for some patients, and we sincerely apologise to anyone affected.
“You can help us keep emergency services available for those who need them most. Please only attend the Emergency Department or call 999 in a genuine emergency. For non-urgent illnesses or injuries, consider visiting a pharmacy, your GP (including out-of-hours services) or use NHS 111 for 24/7 advice on what to do and where to go when it is urgent but not an emergency.
“If you come to the ED and do not need emergency care, we will book you a same-day appointment at a local Urgent Treatment Centre or guide you to another off-site service that is right for your needs.
“I would also like thank colleagues for their continued hard work and professionalism during this extremely busy time. We are committed to supporting colleagues, ensuring they have the resources and wellbeing support they need.”
The trust added it would do “all” it can to “bring ambulance handover times down, working with our partners in the ambulance service and with wider health and care system”. UHL also said it “regularly engages” with local health scrutiny committees, attending meetings when requested, and it “value[s] these opportunities to provide updates, discuss performance and challenges”.
