John Pugh, Liberal Democrat MP for Southport, has called for a top-level summit of Health Chiefs to address the problems which repeatedly caused to up to 11 Ambulances to queue outside Southport A&E amid chaotic scenes last winter.
Before the peak winter period, Southport hospital managers asked NHS Sefton for cash to open an extra ward for coping with the predicted increased pressures on A&E during the winter. NHS Sefton refused - and the NW Regional Health Authority did not intervene.
The result was that at the busiest times, when there were icy paths and flu outbreaks, patients were often held up in the A&E department, waiting for staff to try to find them a bed in the hospital. Meanwhile, other patients were forced to queue in ambulances at the entrance of A&E. This meant they were not ‘officially’ in the hospital – sometimes being left for over two hours. As hospital staff would not triage these patients, ambulance staff had to stay with them.
The result was that emergency ambulances were not available for fresh emergencies in the area. Ambulances were called to Southport from as far away as Blackburn, resulting in pensioners enduring long waits on icy pavements after suffering falls.
Ambulance staff representatives have subsequently briefed Dr Pugh. They have highlighted their frustration at knowing there were injured patients out on the streets of Southport not receiving attention, but being unable to help.
The effects of ambulance diversion spread across Lancashire, with reports of similar problems at Blackburn A&E, which has recently had to cope with the closure of the nearby Burnley unit.
In early 2009 Dr Pugh raised two specific cases with the Ambulance Authorities, one in Norwood Avenue and one in Ainsdale. He also knows of other cases where the waits were abnormally long, where residents had fallen and had to lie on frozen pavements in the cold. Dr Pugh asked Ambulance chiefs to provide him with statistics showing occasions where there were turnaround times at hospitals lasting more than 90 minutes.
However, the Ambulance Service response to Dr Pugh’s enquiries have raised fresh issues of concern. Emergency ambulance cases are apparently being prioritised according to a ‘traffic light’ system with different priorities for attendence time being ascribed to ‘red’, ‘amber’ and ‘green’ cases. Paramedics attend many call-outs in a ‘fast car’ to stabilise patients before ambulances arrive. Yet paramedic representatives have told Dr Pugh that they are often not happy with attending certain emergency calls where they know in advance there should be a fully-fitted ambulance going out in the first place.
It further appears that these problems are not confined to winter months. Only last week Dr Pugh was told of a lady who fell in central Southport. It was not considered safe to move her while waiting for paramedics to arrive. This led to the lady concerned having to lie for almost an hour in an upside down position at the bottom of a flight of stairs whilst she waited for an ambulance to arrive.
Lib Dem Councillor Sue McGuire, who represents Cambridge ward, is concerned that the situation may have gone unreported to the Sefton Council Health and Social Care Committee. She praised Dr Pugh for his insistence on taking action now to prevent further crises next winter.
However she added: “I am concerned about this ‘traffic light’ system. The questioning of anxious passers-by or relatives by non-medically trained staff may present a false picture of how urgent the call is. I do not think the people of Southport will consider it acceptable for anuybody to lie on cold pavements for up to two hours waiting for an ambulance.”
“Nor, as far as I am aware, have they or their elected representatives ever been asked about this new ‘traffic lights’ system being introduced. I would urge anyone who has had a difficult experience with emergency ambulances to notify John Pugh MP so that he has the fullest picture possible when he next meets health chiefs.”
