Shock figures show how many patients were left stuck in ambulances at York NHS hospitals

New figures have revealed how the NHS crisis has hit people in York seeking emergency treatment.

Stats published by the NHS today (Friday) show that 1,081 patients had to wait for over an hour in ambulances before being admitted to York and Scarborough hospitals in December.

Altogether 45% (1,558) of all ambulance crews were delayed by more than half an hour dropping off patients at the A&E departments run by the York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

A total of 2,632 hours were lost to ambulance handover delays.

NHS targets state trusts should complete 95 per cent of all ambulance handovers in 30 minutes, with all conducted in less than one hour.

Lib Dem Cllr Carol Runciman, City of York Council’s executive member for health and adult social care, condemned the figures.

“Our health and care staff are continuing to work tirelessly, yet despite their incredible dedication, this government’s neglect and mismanagement of our NHS is leaving the system to crumble,” she said.

“This crisis is not simply down to Covid or winter pressures, but is rather caused by years of underfunding of the NHS, failure to tackle the health service’s understaffing and fixing a social care system that is struggling to keep up with demand.

“The Prime Minister is asleep at the wheel while patients are stuck in ambulances and the health service is stretched to breaking point.

“Ministers should have been working to tackle this crisis for months, instead they spent most of 2022 indulging in political circus within the Conservative Party.

“We cannot wait for more empty announcements and platitudes; the NHS needs investment and a recovery strategy now.”