Tweet
17 January 2011
Last updated at 01:29 ET
Ambulances spent more than 80,000 hours waiting to transfer patients to hospitals in two years, claim the Welsh Liberal Democrats.
Turn-around times when handing patients to hospital staff should take no longer than 20 minutes, under targets.
The Lib Dems claimed the figures they obtained showed thousands of hours of emergency ambulance cover were lost.
The Welsh Assembly Government said most patients were treated and transferred in an appropriate time.
Between January 2009 and October 2010, turn-around times beyond the 20-minute allowance amounted to more than 80,400 hours - or 3,350 days.
Waits totalled 15,909 hours at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport. while Morriston Hospital in Swansea was second with 11,926 hours, ahead of Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales with 9,986 hours.
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
The figures from the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust also include three hospitals in England.
The service calculates that the cost of a "lost unit hour" is £76, meaning the long turn-around times cost an estimated £6.1m.
'Systemic failure' Welsh Lib Dem health spokeswoman Veronica German said the figures, obtained through a freedom of information request, were "absolutely shocking".
"This proves that there is systemic failure in the way the Welsh NHS handles emergency situations," she said.
"Month after month, we see that Welsh patients have to wait an unacceptable amount of time for ambulances to respond to emergency call-outs and now we see that ambulances have to wait an unacceptable amount of time to transfer patients and get back on the road to respond to emergency calls."
Ambulance staff were working hard in difficult circumstances to improve the service, Mrs German said.
"But it is clear that ambulances cannot attend calls if they are queuing outside hospitals," she added.
An assembly government spokesman said emergency departments were under "constant pressure".
"We must remember that the ambulance service receives more than 25,000 emergency calls every month, the majority of which result in an ambulance taking the patient to an emergency department," he said.
"Unfortunately there will be occasions when there is delay in handing over the patient to hospital staff."
He added: "A significant amount of work has been done to reduce the level of delays and we are working with health boards and the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust to secure the further progress required.
"All patients are dealt with in order of their clinical priority, with the majority of patients being seen, treated, transferred or discharged in an appropriate time."
Ambulance waiting times Hospital Total turnaround time over 20min allowance Source: Welsh Lib Dems. Figures: Total hours for January 2009-October 2010 for ambulance turnaround times, above 20min allowance
Morriston Hospital, Swansea
11,926 hours
Neath Port Talbot
1,384
Princess of Wales, Bridgend
4,034
Singleton, Swansea
2,291
Nevill Hall, Abergavenny
4,928
Royal Gwent, Newport
15,909
Glan Clywd, Bodelwyddan
3,509
Wrexham Maelor
2,194
Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor
3,209
Prince Charles, Merthyr
5,870
Royal Glamorgan, Pontyclun
5,456
University Hospital, Cardiff
9,986
Llandough, Cardiff
1,396
Bronglais, Aberystwyth
963
West Wales, Carmarthen
2,188
Withybush, Haverfordwest
1,806
Caerphilly Miners
152
Llandudno
99
Countess of Chester (England)
694
Hereford County (England)
457
Royal Shrewsbury (England)
536
Webmaster Forum | SEO Forum | Coding Forum | Graphics Forum</b>
Turn-around times when handing patients to hospital staff should take no longer than 20 minutes, under targets.
The Lib Dems claimed the figures they obtained showed thousands of hours of emergency ambulance cover were lost.
The Welsh Assembly Government said most patients were treated and transferred in an appropriate time.
Between January 2009 and October 2010, turn-around times beyond the 20-minute allowance amounted to more than 80,400 hours - or 3,350 days.
Waits totalled 15,909 hours at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport. while Morriston Hospital in Swansea was second with 11,926 hours, ahead of Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales with 9,986 hours.
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
Unfortunately there will be occasions when there is delay in handing over the patient to hospital staff.”
End Quote
Welsh Assembly Government
The figures from the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust also include three hospitals in England.
The service calculates that the cost of a "lost unit hour" is £76, meaning the long turn-around times cost an estimated £6.1m.
'Systemic failure' Welsh Lib Dem health spokeswoman Veronica German said the figures, obtained through a freedom of information request, were "absolutely shocking".
"This proves that there is systemic failure in the way the Welsh NHS handles emergency situations," she said.
"Month after month, we see that Welsh patients have to wait an unacceptable amount of time for ambulances to respond to emergency call-outs and now we see that ambulances have to wait an unacceptable amount of time to transfer patients and get back on the road to respond to emergency calls."
Ambulance staff were working hard in difficult circumstances to improve the service, Mrs German said.
"But it is clear that ambulances cannot attend calls if they are queuing outside hospitals," she added.
An assembly government spokesman said emergency departments were under "constant pressure".
"We must remember that the ambulance service receives more than 25,000 emergency calls every month, the majority of which result in an ambulance taking the patient to an emergency department," he said.
"Unfortunately there will be occasions when there is delay in handing over the patient to hospital staff."
He added: "A significant amount of work has been done to reduce the level of delays and we are working with health boards and the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust to secure the further progress required.
"All patients are dealt with in order of their clinical priority, with the majority of patients being seen, treated, transferred or discharged in an appropriate time."
Ambulance waiting times Hospital Total turnaround time over 20min allowance Source: Welsh Lib Dems. Figures: Total hours for January 2009-October 2010 for ambulance turnaround times, above 20min allowance
Morriston Hospital, Swansea
11,926 hours
Neath Port Talbot
1,384
Princess of Wales, Bridgend
4,034
Singleton, Swansea
2,291
Nevill Hall, Abergavenny
4,928
Royal Gwent, Newport
15,909
Glan Clywd, Bodelwyddan
3,509
Wrexham Maelor
2,194
Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor
3,209
Prince Charles, Merthyr
5,870
Royal Glamorgan, Pontyclun
5,456
University Hospital, Cardiff
9,986
Llandough, Cardiff
1,396
Bronglais, Aberystwyth
963
West Wales, Carmarthen
2,188
Withybush, Haverfordwest
1,806
Caerphilly Miners
152
Llandudno
99
Countess of Chester (England)
694
Hereford County (England)
457
Royal Shrewsbury (England)
536
Webmaster Forum | SEO Forum | Coding Forum | Graphics Forum</b>