18 hour waits and two days on a trolley
Helen Morgan has grilled the Minister for Health over ambulance wait times, raising the case of a North Shropshire constituent who faced an 18-hour wait to see a doctor after contracting an infection during cancer treatment.
The constituent is one of many who have contacted Helen asking for help after being forced to wait on trolleys waiting for care (see example in quote below).
Helen has been campaigning for action on ambulance wait times since her first day as the constituency’s MP. Although there have been some successes, such as a £21 million investment into 52 extra emergency care beds that are now in place, she says the situation remains ‘dire’ for too many.
The MP cited statistics showing that the average response for a heart attack or stroke (category two) across the West Midlands was 43 minutes in January – with North Shropshire likely to be significantly worse performing than more urban areas.
Meanwhile half of patients attending A&E in Shropshire are having to wait more than four hours despite a target of 95% of patients being seen within four hours.
The latest NHS figures, from January, show Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust is in the bottom three performing NHS trusts in the country for A&E waiting times.
Helen Morgan, MP for North Shropshire, told the Health Minister, “The average category two response time for West Midlands Ambulance Service was over 43 minutes in January.
“We know that the problems are worse in Shropshire, and that follows on from stories like a lady who waited for 18 hours before seeing a doctor having contracted an infection following radiation therapy for her cancer treatment.
“The situation in Shropshire doesn't seem to be improving as fast as you'd like it to. Can she give me an assessment of the steps that she's taken to resolve that problem?”
Helen Whatley MP, Minister for Health, replied, “Across the country, ambulance response times have come down by a third. We've worked very hard, particularly with areas that face greater challenges, including Shropshire, as she refers to. And I have spoken to leaders in the local health system about the ongoing challenges.
“One of the things we're doing now is learning lessons of what has worked over the last year and where we haven't made so much progress to make sure that we do better in areas like hers over the year ahead.”
The North Shropshire MP says that the case mentioned to the Minister earlier today is just one of many stories she has heard – including a two-day wait on corridor just last week.
After the debate, Helen Morgan MP added, “A 63-year old constituent called Pauline contacted my office on Friday afternoon to say that she was in the A&E department of Shrewsbury Hospital.
“She needed a scan of her heart, which she was told would not take place until Monday. She was on a trolley in a corridor which she said was dirty, and here she remained for 2 days, awaiting transfer to a ward.
“There were no call bells, and my constituent and the others in the same position were left alone and unattended for long periods of time. One patient left with a cannulae still in his hand, and this went unnoticed by staff for two hours.
“Almost every week, I pick up a case or hear a story just like Pauline’s. Ministers need to understand that in Shropshire the situation continues to be dire. We need a serious programme focused on recruitment, investment, and providing community care to stop people getting to A&E in the first place – not more empty words.”