Paramedics in England are experiencing distressing situations where they are forced to watch patients die in the backs of ambulances due to prolonged delays outside emergency departments, according to a Unison survey. The survey reveals that hospital congestion has led to significant backlogs, with some ambulance crews waiting over 12 hours to transfer patients into emergency care.
Nearly 600 ambulance workers participated in the survey, which highlights the strain these delays have on both patients and the crews providing care. Unison warns that providing care in “car parks” is becoming the new standard, as hospital medical staff are increasingly treating patients in ambulances.
Over 77% of paramedics and emergency medical technicians have had to care for patients inside ambulances outside emergency departments in the past year, with nearly 70% experiencing extended waits in hospital corridors. A significant portion of respondents reported worsening patient conditions and, in some cases, patient deaths due to the extended waiting periods.
The recommended handover time for ambulance crews is 15 minutes, and longer than 30 minutes is considered excessive. However, the survey indicates that about 16% of respondents have faced waits of 12 hours or more, and over half have encountered delays exceeding 6 hours.
Gavin Taylor, a Unison representative and ambulance worker from the north-west of England, has witnessed these delays becoming a distressing regularity. The survey’s findings are especially concerning as they come at a time when health workers are gathering for Unison’s annual health conference.
The prolonged waits have also led to critical situations where patients needing immediate attention cannot receive it due to ambulance crews being tied up with handover delays. In the year leading up to November 2024, ambulances spent over 1.5 million hours stalled outside A&E departments, affecting the treatment of 414,137 patients, with 44,409 of these cases resulting in severe harm.
Unison’s general secretary, Christina McAnea, called for urgent action to address healthcare demands and ensure patients receive timely care. McAnea criticized the current state of the NHS, stating that ‘car park care’ has become the norm.
The NHS acknowledged the pressures across emergency services and hospitals, resulting in negative impacts on patients and staff. They are working to reduce handover times as part of the planning guidance, aiming for a maximum handover period of 45 minutes. The Department of Health and Social Care stated that it is reforming the NHS to improve patient care and reduce waiting times by shifting services to the community and recruiting additional healthcare professionals.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/06/englands-nhs-crews-watching-patients-die-in-back-of-ambulances-due-to-ae-delays
