12
Jan 2021
Paramedics warn of fatalities as hundreds of emergencies wait hours for help
Paramedics warn that patients are dying as a result of delays, as hundreds of people across London are having to wait hours each day for an emergency ambulance to reach them.
Although patients involved in emergency calls classified as category two, such as those involving chest pains or a suspected stroke, should be seen by a paramedic within an average of 18 minutes, they are currently being forced in some cases to wait for up to ten hours.
Even patients making life-threatening calls where they are in cardiac arrest and where they should be reached within seven minutes, have faced delays, with data suggestion one such call was waiting for 20 minutes earlier in the week.
Experts have warned that the problems in the capital were being reflected in ambulance services across the country.
A spokesperson from the London Ambulance Service said “Our frontline ambulance crews and call handlers are under enormous pressure trying to help unprecedented numbers of patients, working tirelessly in the most challenging of circumstances. What they’re achieving by responding to more 111 and 999 calls, and helping more patients each day, than at ay time in our history is incredible.
“Despite their professionalism, relentlessly hard work and exceptional patient care as clinicians, many of our staff and volunteers are inevitably distressed that patients are waiting for much longer than they normally do and that often they are not able to provide the level of care we usually aspire to.
“We are trying to do everything we can to look after the physical and mental health of all our staff, including 24/7 welfare and clinical support.”
Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events. Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.
If you believe that you or a relative may have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence solicitors on the freephone number below.
Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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