Ambulance crews lost nearly two million hours while waiting to hand over patients to A&E staff in England last year, according to a new report.

Patients arriving at an emergency department via ambulance should be handed over to the care of emergency department staff within 15 minutes, according to national guidance.

But the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) said from March 2022 to 2023, nearly two million hours were lost due to delays exceeding the 15-minute target.

Bournemouth Echo: In the 12 months to March 2023 around 868,000 hours were lost by ambulance crews due to handover delays of more than an hour. In the 12 months to March 2023 around 868,000 hours were lost by ambulance crews due to handover delays of more than an hour. (Image: PA)

Two million hours "lost" by ambulances stuck in hospital queues 

A new report by AACE states that in the 12 months to March 2023, some 868,000 hours were lost by ambulance crews due to handover delays at hospitals in England of an hour or more.

In December 2012 there were an estimated 5,226 handover delays over an hour across England, but in December 2022 there were 66,000.

The AACE said the longer delays “have shown signs of receding” since the start of this financial year but still “remain very high”.

It warned that delays could lead to patient harm and could keep ambulances from getting back out on the road to attend to other emergencies.

The Association said the upward trend started in 2011, long before the Covid pandemic but since then has “accelerated with numbers reaching unprecedented levels”.

Martin Flaherty, managing director of AACE, said: “We have seen significant improvements in some areas (but) it is clear from the data that we remain in a precarious position.

“There is subsequently no room for complacency and considerable work for us all to continue to do to prevent handover delays.”

Handover delays at hospitals are “causing harm to patients”

The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) warned that these extended handover delays were “causing harm to patients”.

HSIB said: “A patient’s health may deteriorate while they are waiting to be seen by emergency department staff, or they may be harmed because they are not able to access timely and appropriate treatment."

NHS staff "traumatised" and "demoralised" they can't repsond to every 999 call

Commenting on the report, the deputy chief executive at NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, said: “Rising handover delays over the last decade are symptomatic of the relentless pressure on the whole health and care system.

“These delays mean that ambulance crews are not always able to respond to 999 calls from critically ill patients.

"In addition to the direct impact on patients, this is incredibly demoralising, even traumatising, for many staff involved.

"This is especially concerning as we head into winter, the most challenging time of year for the NHS.

“For trust leaders to be able to continue to make progress in tackling handover delays, we need to see urgent reform of social care and adequate investment in community services.”

Bournemouth Echo: NHS staff are said to be traumatised they are unable to answer all 999 calls.NHS staff are said to be traumatised they are unable to answer all 999 calls. (Image: PA)

An NHS England spokesperson said: “This report focuses on the number of handover delays last winter, which we know was an incredibly challenging period for NHS staff with record demand, a ‘twindemic’ of Covid and flu, industrial action and strains in social care. 

"But as AACE acknowledges the number of delays has fallen since the start of the year alongside substantial improvements in ambulance response times and A&E performance.

“This year we set out our plans for winter earlier than ever before and as part of our urgent and emergency care recovery plan we are rolling out a host of measures to both improve hospital discharge and flow, reduce ambulance handover delays and increase the number of ambulance hours on the road, including 5,000 new beds to boost capacity and reduce waiting times for patients.”