NHs patients left in ambulances for more than 2 hours

HUNDREDS of Greater Manchester patients queued in ambulances for more than two hours over the summer, the M.E.N. can reveal, as new figures lay bare the scale of the pressures already facing the NHS before winter begins.

More than 100 people are also stuck in Manchester hospital beds every day due to a lack of suitable social care.

No trust in the entire region has hit the national A&E waiting time target for two years.

North Manchester General – which is short of 100 medical beds, but cannot open any more due to a lack of staff - is seeing particularly high numbers of elderly patients stranded in hospital waiting to be discharged, along with long ambulance handover times.

Councillors at Manchester’s health scrutiny committee were told of a raft of measures already being put in place by the region’s NHS and council bosses, including more social workers in hospitals, better GP access and nursing recruitment.

But health chiefs admitted the situation is ‘challenging,’ even before the winter kicks in.

Their figures show 341 people waited in ambulances for more than two hours between July and September across Greater Manchester, with the highest figures at Bolton, Oldham and North Manchester General hospitals.

The report notes ‘long handover delays’ at North Manchester General due to staffing shortfalls and delayed discharges, adding: “Times of pressure on the urgent and emergency care system across Greater Manchester have led to some very long waits.”

No hospital in the region has seen an average 95pc of patients within four hours since summer 2015, with health bosses pointing to a particular difficulty in discharging patients thanks to a shortage of home care.

Those figures rallied slightly over this summer, but still fell short everywhere - and in most cases well short.

The Royal Oldham is understood to be facing particular pressures, with just 59pc of people seen within four hours on Sunday, as attendances increase significantly. The target is 95pc.

The city of Manchester alone is seeing around 115 ‘delayed transfers’ the official term for people stuck in hospital due to a lack of social care each day.

North Manchester General, which accounts for more than 40 of those patients, is facing particular pressures because of a shortfall in beds, staffing and safe places to discharge patients to, especially people from Bury.

Dr Anton Sinniah, divisional clinical director of medicine at the hospital, pointed to a lack of beds and staff.

The other major issue, he said, was a particularly high proportion of delayed transfers - sometimes referred to as ‘bed blocking.’

Councillor Bev Craig, who leads on health and social care for Manchester town hall, said the council was working closely with hospitals to improve discharges.

That includes the new Village 135 apartments in Wythenshawe, intended for people waiting for social care.