Welsh Ambulance Service declares extraordinary incident due to delays

An ambulance spent 28 hours outside a hospital after an "extraordinary incident" was declared due to delays.

The Welsh Ambulance Service said 16 ambulances had waited outside the emergency department at Morriston Hospital, Swansea, at one time.

It said multiple sites across Wales were affected, "specifically" in the Swansea Bay health board area.

Lee Brooks, director of operations, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast the situation was "heart-breaking".

The service said people should only call 999 if their emergency was "life or limb threatening".

Judith Bryce, assistant director of operations at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said on Sunday the service was experiencing "patient handover delays outside of emergency departments. This is taking its toll on our ability to respond within the community."

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Source: BBC News, 23 October 2023