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Ambulances told to 'drop and go' (Image: Getty)
The government’s latest effort to velocity up ambulance turnaround times successful A&E has been branded an “immoral and unacceptable” gimmick that puts patients astatine risk, starring experts say.
Last week, NHS England issued a directive stating ambulance handovers indispensable beryllium completed wrong 15 minutes, with nary hold beyond 45 minutes—regardless of infirmary pressures.
But critics reason this volition unit paramedics to ‘drop and go’, leaving earnestly sick patients stranded successful corridors, without life-saving equipment, privacy, oregon dignity.
The determination comes arsenic NHS figures uncover hospitals are bursting, with record-high numbers of patients battling norovirus, flu, and wintertime infections. Last week (Thursday 6 feb) the authorities released figures showing 98,101 infirmary beds were occupied regular - 96 percent - the highest fig this winter.
It revealed 961 patients a time are hospitalised with norovirus—a 69 percent emergence compared to past year. Over 13,000 patients were stuck successful infirmary contempt being medically acceptable for discharge.
With hospitals already struggling to cope, forcing ambulances to offload patients rapidly could pb to disaster, experts warn.
'drop and go' argumentation 'puts diligent lives astatine risk' (Image: Getty)
Professor Carl Heneghan, manager of Oxford University’s Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, criticised the argumentation arsenic unsafe and unethical.
"The attraction of patients successful corridors should beryllium a nationalist disgrace. It is unsafe, immoral, and wholly unacceptable," helium said.
Corridor care—once reserved for utmost emergencies similar panic attacks—is present the norm, helium added. "No different manufacture would tolerate specified conditions."
Professor Heneghan, an urgent attraction GP, besides raised concerns astir mismanagement wrong ambulance services, claiming excessively overmuch of the workforce is stuck successful back-office roles, alternatively than providing front-line care.
Dr. Mashkur Khan, a starring acute attraction specialist, slammed the 45-minute turnaround arsenic a reckless argumentation that could outgo lives.
He said: "This volition mean much patients dumped successful corridors, without privacy, dignity, oregon entree to captious attraction similar oxygen and cardiac apprehension equipment. This is third-world healthcare."
Dr. Khan warned rushed handovers could pb to unsafe mistakes, with unit being forced to chopped corners nether pressure.
Adding to the problems, helium said, cramming much patients into hospitals could worsen the dispersed of viruses, helium added.
He said: "They’re trying to hole 1 occupation but making different 1 worse"
Not each aesculapian professionals reason the move. Some accidental the short-term measurement is indispensable to escaped up ambulances for 999 exigency callouts.
An NHS England spokesperson defended the policy, saying:
“This measurement is designed to trim avoidable ambulance dispatches, trim conveyances, and chopped handover delays.”
Govt orders 45 infinitesimal ambulance 'turnaround' (Image: Getty)
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