Welsh Ambulance Service lose 32,000 hours in handover delays

In a report to the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust board, Chief Executive Jason Killens shared data and figures on how WAST fared last month. 

The report included the hours lost during handover delays, the quantity of fleet unavailable at times throughout the month as well as response times to varying calls. 

In December, WAST lost 32,050 hours to handover delays, which equates to 37 percent of its conveying capacity. 

The report states that the figure does not include English hospitals, so in reality, that number is even higher. 

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Mr Killens also revealed that at times during December, 50 percent of the ambulance service's fleet was unavailable, due to delays.

"Our fleet gets delayed but calls still come in and that is where queues build rapidly," he said. 

In December, there were over 2,883 +4 hour patient handovers in Wales, with the target being 0 as of September 2022. 

Increased pressures on emergency departments are leading to negative implications on the ambulance service says Mr Killens. 

He said: "Sustained and extreme pressure across the Welsh NHS urgent and emergency care system is negatively impacting on patient flow leading to avoidable patient harm and death."

The last action "significantly off target" discussed by Mr Killens in the report was the immediate release of ambulances. 

The report states that "NHS Wales CEOs and Chairs committed to Red and Amber 1 rejection being a never event."

Mr Killens goes on to reveal that there were 1,234 requests made to health board EDs for the immediate release of ambulances for Red or Amber 1 calls in December 2022.

In the Red category, 449 were accepted and released, 88 were not. In the Amber 1 category, 156 were released, but 541 were not.

Discussing the non-release of 629 vehicles, Mr Killens said: "The Trust’s actions are completed, but compliance remains problematic."

Mr Killens went on to say that pressures had eased since the turn of the year and that "action is considerably lower this month". 

"There have been improvements in patient experience and optimal performance, due to less demand. 

"There is still work to do and it's still a long way off where we need it to be," said Killens. 

Non-Executive Director Kevin Davies, who stood in as chair during Thursday's meeting, echoed the Chief Executive's thoughts and called on WAST to not get "complacent" after signs of improvement.