EMERGENCY patients are being forced into an “ambulance by Uber” crisis as growing numbers reach A&E on their own, MPs warn.
NHS figures suggest the number of “very urgent” cases getting a ride or taxi to the accident has risen by 39 per cent since 2019.
Data from around a third of hospitals shows that the total number of “Code 2” emergency patients who did not arrive by ambulance increased from 363,000 to 504,000 in 2023.
The true number is probably higher.
More people are going to the emergency room on their own rather than risking agonizing waits in the ambulance
Daisy Cooper
It comes after the winter of 2022-23 saw the worst ambulance delays on record, with stroke and heart attack patients regularly waiting more than an hour for help.
Liberal Democrat MP Daisy Cooper, whose party carried out the research, said: “This government has created an ‘Uber-ambulance’ crisis.
“With ambulance response times increasing, more people in need of urgent care are going to A&E on their own rather than risking agonizing waits.
“We urgently need investment in our emergency services and more beds in our hospitals so that patients with urgent needs know an ambulance will arrive in time.”
The NHS says demand for urgent help is higher than ever, with an all-time high of 2.35 million visits to A&E departments in March.
A Department of Health spokesperson said: “There are 50 per cent more ambulance staff than in 2010 and the average wait for Category 2 ’emergency’ incidents is more than 13 minutes quicker in 2023/24 than in previous year, while the average 999 call is answered in five seconds.
When to call 999 for adults and children
You must call 999 in life-threatening emergencies.
For adults, this includes:
- Signs of a heart attack (chest pain, pressure, heaviness, tightness, squeezing)
- Signs of a stroke (face drooping to one side, inability to hold both arms up, difficulty speaking)
- Sudden confusion (does not know his own name)
- Suicide attempt
- Severe difficulty breathing (unable to speak, choking, panting)
- Suffocating
- Heavy bleeding (spraying, pouring, pooling)
- Serious injuries (after a serious accident or assault)
- Convulsion
- Sudden and rapid swelling (lips, mouth, throat, tongue)
For children, this includes:
- Convulsion
- Suffocating
- Difficulty breathing (grunting, stomach sucking under rib cage)
- Unable to stay awake (cannot keep eyes open for more than a few seconds)
- Blue, gray, pale, or mottled skin, tongue, or lips
- Floppy and floppy (head falls to the side, back or forward)
- Heavy bleeding (spraying, pouring, pooling)
- Serious injuries (after a serious accident or assault)
- Signs of a stroke (face drooping to one side, inability to hold both arms up, difficulty speaking)
- Sudden and rapid swelling (lips, mouth, throat, tongue)
- Sudden confusion (agitation, strange behavior, non-stop crying)
Source: National Health Service
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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