Ambulances at Ayrshire’s hospitals have been waiting for as long as 16 hours before patients are able to be transferred onto wards.
The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) have said they face “significant pressure” and that they are working with hospitals to improve turnaround times while NHS Ayrshire and Arran have stated that the “prevalence of flu” and other winter viruses has resulted in “high hospital occupancy levels” and “increased length” of stays for patients.
Figures published by SAS revealed that turnaround times for ambulances at both University Hospital Ayr and University Hospital Crosshouse were in excess of one hour for most patients in the week beginning December 30, 2024 – the most recently published data.
However, 17 people at Ayr and 32 at Crosshouse waited more than 4hrs and 20 minutes.
Turnaround times before Christmas were longer with 33 patients waiting at least 5hrs 50 minutes in the week beginning December 16 at Crosshouse.
Ayr’s longest waits were in the week beginning December 23 with 18 patients waiting at least 5hrs 30 minutes.
The figures published by SAS include the median time – the time in which 50 per cent of patients are seen – and the 90th percentile – the time in which 90 per cent of patients are seen.
As a result, 10 per cent of patients wait longer each week than than the 90th percentile time.
Claims that some of these patients waited as long as 16 hours were put to SAS, NHS Ayrshire and Arran and the Scottish Government and were not denied.
SAS chief executive Michael Dickson visited hospitals and ambulance stations in December to better understand the challenges crews and hospitals face.
Ayrshire Live understands that a proposal for a receiving unit in a hospital car park where ambulance crews could drop patients off were dropped as Mr Dickson, among others, acknowledged that it would just fill up.
Turnaround times at hospitals are also having a negative effect on response times in Ayrshire with some patients waiting more than 20 minutes for calls classed as purple and more than half an hour for calls classed as red – both incidents which are targeted for an ambulance response within eight minutes – in week beginning December 30.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “I would like to reiterate my thanks to each and every person working in health and social care during this challenging winter period.
“Patient safety and the welfare of NHS staff are our top priorities. I apologise to any patients who have experienced delays, and we recognise the significant pressures healthcare staff are currently facing.
“Alongside the First Minister, I have convened regular meetings with the ambulance service over the last few weeks to help manage pressures and ensure health boards are taking appropriate actions to reduce delays.
“We continue to work closely with health boards and the Scottish Ambulance Service to support the safe handover of patients upon arrival at hospital, which in turn will free up ambulances to respond to calls promptly.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “We continue to face significant pressure on our services, directly linked to system-wide pressures such as lengthy hospital handover times at key areas across the country, the significant increase in respiratory viruses, and more recently the cold weather.
“We absolutely recognise the challenging environment our fantastic staff are facing and we are doing everything we possibly can to support both them, and patients.
“This includes new welfare provisions put in place at challenging hospital sites, senior management mitigating risks by on-site visits, and continued staff support. We are working with health boards and continue to press the importance of quicker turnarounds at hospitals to free up our crews to get back on the road to help other patients.
“During this period, we continue to prioritise those patients who are most critically ill. For those patients who are not critically ill, they may have to wait longer for an ambulance than usual and we thank the public for their patience. We will try to get to them as quickly as we can.”
Dr Crawford McGuffie, medical director at NHS Ayrshire and Arran said: “There are currently significant demands to access unscheduled care services across NHS Scotland. This is also the case within NHS Ayrshire and Arran, where there are significant pressures across the whole health and care system.
“The prevalence of flu, combined with other winter viruses, has impacted many people, particularly the elderly, frail and those with long-term conditions. The cold weather and icy conditions have compounded the situation at what is always a very challenging time for unscheduled care services.
“This results in high hospital occupancy levels and often an increased length of stay for patients. We have additional beds opened in our hospitals to support patient care and to reduce the delays for admission to the wards from the Emergency Departments and Combined Assessment Units.
“Our staff work hard to assess and treat patients as quickly as possible. However, due to current pressures, some patients have waited significantly longer than we would wish. We are sorry that patients have experienced these delays, and we continue to work collaboratively with health and care partners to reduce these waits.
“We are working closely with Scottish Ambulance Service to continuously monitor all ambulance handover waits and prioritise patients based on their clinical need. The clinical teams continuously review any patients with prolonged waits to ensure that all patients receive required treatment and care.
“We are fully committed to ensure that those with emergency and urgent needs are treated as quickly as possible, alongside those patients who have been waiting for the longest period.
“Members of the public are reminded to use the most appropriate service for their need – for example NHS Inform, primary care or minor injuries services – and that the emergency departments should only be used in an emergency.
“There are a number of alternative ways to access care so that you get the right care in the right place:
“Think digital first for self-care. Visit NHS inform for information on treating a range of common conditions.
“Call NHS 24 on 111 or your family doctor (GP) if you have a non-life threatening condition which is not urgent.
“Your local pharmacy should be your first stop for common conditions such as colds, cold sores, sore throat, diarrhoea, indigestion or aches and pains. Your pharmacy can also help you stay on top of your repeat prescription.
“If you’re feeling anxious, stressed or low – find out how you can improve your mental wellbeing at nhsinform.scot/mind-to-mind. For urgent help and advice about your mental health and wellbeing, call NHS 24 on 111.
“Contact your dental practice if you have tooth pain, swelling to your mouth or painful or bleeding gums. Your dental practice can also give advice on oral hygiene.
“Your local optometry practice (opticians) can provide advice on red or sticky eyes, pain in or around your eye, blurred or reduced vision, or flashes and floaters.
“Your General Practice has a range of clinicians to help with both mental and physical health conditions. You may be offered a face-to-face, telephone or video consultation, as clinically appropriate.
“Your local emergency department (A&E) is for emergencies only, such as suspected heart attack or stroke, breathing difficulties or severe bleeding.
“Winter flu and COVID-19 vaccines are still available to people who are eligible and not yet been vaccinated. It’s strongly recommended you get vaccinated if you’re eligible this winter to protect yourself from serious illness. You can find information on eligibility, as well as details of local vaccine clinics, on https://www.nhsinform.scot/winter-vaccines/ ”
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