Ambulances waiting up to five hours as SE trust feels covid pressure

A trust in the south east is coming under increasing pressure from a growing number of covid patients, leading to long delays in ambulance handovers.

HSJ has been told that ambulances have been waiting up to five hours to hand over patients at Medway Foundation Trust, which has around 90 covid patients. 

The trust is currently continuing with elective work but covid patients are taking up close to 20% of its beds. Sources have told HSJ that bed occupancy at the trust is already very high – with a high proportion of acutely ill patients - and there are issues with discharging patients into nursing homes which is affecting the ability to admit patients swiftly through A&E.

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Source: HSJ, 11 November 2020