Stroke and heart attack patients wait more than a day for ambulances, new figures reveal
Patients needing urgent treatment for life-threatening illness such as strokes or heart attacks waited more than 24 hours for an ambulance response, new figures show.
New data shows the crisis facing NHS ambulance services resulted in every region missing vital NHS targets to respond to some of the most critically unwell patients last year.
Despite improvements compared to 2022, figures obtained by the Liberal Democrat party show ambulance services continued to struggle with response times to category two patients, which may include those who have suffered a stroke or heart attack and should receive a response within 18 minutes.
In two cases patients needing this level of response, in Warrington and Staffordshire, waited more than 25 hours for an ambulance.
Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive at NHS Providers, which represents all NHS trusts, called for “urgent” investment and warned that “rising demand, limited resources and vast staff shortages are piling pressure on an already-stretched service, further driving up ambulance waiting times.”
He said NHS hospital and ambulance leaders are working to reduce delays and responses at a time “when demand has never been higher.”
Source: The Independent, 23 April 2024