Man dies after hour-long wait outside Worcestershire Royal Hospital - The Bromsgrove Standard

Man dies after hour-long wait outside Worcestershire Royal Hospital

Bromsgrove Editorial 5th Dec, 2019   0

A man died after being kept waiting in an ambulance outside Worcestershire Royal Hospital for an hour.

The man went into cardiac arrest on November 27 while waiting to be seen at the under-pressure hospital.

A joint statement released by West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said they were looking into the circumstances surrounding the case and have sent their condolences to the patient’s family.

Matthew Hopkins, chief executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “On the night in question there were a number of ambulances waiting longer than we would want outside.




“This was despite the best efforts of staff in our Emergency Departments (EDs) who work extremely hard to ensure that our patients get the best care possible.”

Mr Hopkins says positive action is being taken to ‘tackle the issue’ but recognises there is still more to be done.


“Delay in handovers means a poor experience of care for our patients, as well as being frustrating for ambulance crews and ED staff.

“We have put in place procedures which are designed to support ambulance crews and protect patient safety if ambulances are waiting.”

These measures include nurses carrying out regular checks on board to support crews and patients.

Mr Hopkins added: “Reducing waits and improving ambulance handovers is our number one quality and safety improvement priority and we will continue to work to deliver the improvements that are needed.”

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