Ambulance Handover Delays
Significant delays in ambulance response times caused by prolonged patient offloading at hospitals, tying up critical resources.
591 items
10 sources
2 inquiries
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
LGO / SPSO decision
97match
202410343 - Scottish Ambulance Service
C complained on behalf of their friend (A), a care home resident. A became unwell and was in a lot of pain. An Out of Hours GP suspected an internal bleed and arranged for an ambulance to be requested. A call was made to Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) at 20:20, requesting a ‘one-hour response’ to hospital. The SAS...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay, handover
PFD report
93match
Peter Scott
The ambulance service is critically under-resourced, operating frequently under severe capacity constraints due to high demand and recruitment issues, exacerbated by hospital handover delays.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay, handover
PFD report
89match
Frederick Pring
Current practices for patient handover at Emergency Departments lead to unacceptable delays, keeping ambulances occupied and unavailable for other critical calls.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay, handover
PFD report
89match
Barbara Patterson
The Pathways system has a fault preventing timely CPR advice for agonal breathing, and ambulance dispatch was delayed due to paramedic shortages and handover issues at hospitals.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay, handover
PFD report
85match
Mia Gibson
Over-reliance on maternal observations in obstetric emergencies overlooked fetal risk, and ambulance dispatch suffered from poor meal break management and resource shortages. This led to critical delays in emergency response and hospital transfer.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
PFD report
85match
Pamela Conway
Persistent and unacceptable delays in patient offloading from ambulances at hospitals continue to render ambulance resources unavailable for other calls, creating ongoing risks to public safety.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
85match
201706768 - Scottish Ambulance Service
Mrs C complained that the ambulance service delayed in sending an ambulance to her daughter (Miss A) when Miss A dislocated her knee. The ambulance took almost an hour to arrive, which the ambulance service acknowledged was much longer than they would have expected. They apologised for the delay and explained it was due to a lack of...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
85match
202102737 - Scottish Ambulance Service
C complained about Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) on behalf of A for whom they hold welfare Power of Attorney. A waited for an ambulance for nearly 21 hours. A has multiple sclerosis (a disease that affects central nervous system), lives in a care home and usually has a catheter (a thin tube used to drain and collect urine...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
Committee recommendation
83match
#4 - Set out actions to address delayed discharges caused by hospital, community, and social care constraints.
Not enough is being done to tackle delayed discharges, which cause inefficiencies both within hospitals and more widely across the care system. Delays with discharging patients when they are medically fit for discharge reduces available bed capacity, which in turn slows admissions from A&E departments, which in turn slows the rate at which ambulances can hand over new...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
83match
PSOW-202204639 - Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
We investigated a complaint by Mr A about the delay in obtaining an Out of Hours GP visit for his late wife, Mrs A, which was requested via 111. Specifically, we considered whether Mrs A’s symptoms were appropriately assessed by the 111 service, which is provided by the Trust, and then whether the referrals to the OOH GP...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
83match
201903349 - Scottish Ambulance Service
Mr A fell at home and a 999 call was made to the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) to attend. The call was prioritised as an emergency response where an ambulance would be dispatched as soon as one became available. An ambulance arrived with Mr A approximately four hours after the initial call. Mr A was later diagnosed with...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
83match
201904012 - Scottish Ambulance Service
C complained on behalf of their parent (A) after A was unwell and a GP made a home visit to assess them. The GP called for an ambulance for a 'within the hour' response. The ambulance service called back later and spoke with C to advise that the ambulance was delayed and would attend as soon as possible....
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
PFD report
81match
Elizabeth Leah
Severe ambulance service understaffing and resource shortages led to dangerous delays, resulting in an elderly patient with a broken leg being advised to take a taxi to the hospital. Systemic issues were exacerbated by A&E delays and bed blocking.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
PFD report
81match
Colin Moulton
Critical patient information was lost during verbal paramedic-to-triage nurse handovers. Additionally, the ambulance service failed to notify the hospital of their presence when responding to a patient already on hospital grounds, missing a crucial connection.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, handover
PFD report
81match
Luke Ayres
Delays in emergency response were caused by a cut-off 999 call, a staff member providing ambulance information from a distance without current patient status, and paramedics not being immediately escorted to the ward.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
PFD report
81match
Ronald Hamer
An ambulance response was critically delayed by over two hours, and no follow-up calls were made to the patient's family. This was attributed to an absence of clear planning for high call volumes, risking future service failures.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
81match
202102932 - Scottish Ambulance Service
C’s elderly parent (A) had recently been discharged from hospital where they had been treated with antibiotics for a urinary tract infection. However, A continued to experience nausea and vomiting along with hallucinations and A’s GP requested an ambulance be provided for A within one hour. Although the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) made a number of calls to...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
81match
PSOW-202101760 - Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Mr D complained that following his father, Mr F, having developed signs of a stroke, requiring an urgent 999 call, the Trust took over 3 hours to dispatch an ambulance to him. Mr D was specifically concerned that given the time-critical need for treatment following a suspected stroke, his father’s call should have been afforded Red status as...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
PHSO casework decision
78match
P-002850 - East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Mrs P complains of a six-hour delay between the ambulance arriving at hospital and her father being handed over to emergency department staff.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
PFD report
77match
Caroline Pilkington
North West Ambulance Service staff lack control and restraint training, forcing reliance on police who are not clinically trained, leading to delayed patient care and inappropriate diversion of police resources.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
PFD report
77match
Stuart Knight
Significant and unacceptable delays in ambulance dispatch occurred for an unconscious patient with a serious head injury, potentially prejudicing the outcome.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
77match
201102504 - Scottish Ambulance Service
Mr A had abdominal pain in the early hours one morning. The pain had been present the previous day, but had got much worse. Mr A's wife (Mrs C) contacted the ambulance service for assistance, but they did not send an ambulance so Mrs C took her husband to hospital. Mr A had acute appendicitis (sudden inflammation of...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
77match
PSOW-202105404 - Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Ms A complained that her late father, Mr B, not being taken to the local hospital by the first ambulance crew adversely affected his treatment and investigation for a suspected stroke. Ms A said that her father’s condition had deteriorated and the following day he was very confused. He had an episode of urinary incontinence and the lower...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
77match
PSOW-202202481 - Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Mrs A complained about Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust (“WAST”) and Swansea Bay University Health Board (“the Health Board”). The investigation considered Mrs A’s complaint about the care her late husband, Mr B, received from WAST. Mrs A complained about the delay in an ambulance arriving following her 999 calls and questioned whether the 999 calls were correctly...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
77match
201703342 - Scottish Ambulance Service
Mr and Mrs C complained that the ambulance service delayed in sending an ambulance after Mr C suffered multiple fractures in an accident at his home. They also complained that there was a further delay in sending an ambulance when his local hospital asked the ambulance service to transfer him to a major trauma centre. Mr C subsequently...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
77match
201809363 - Scottish Ambulance Service
A GP practice contacted the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) to request that C's grandchild (A) be transferred from a local hospital to a hospital with a paediatric unit after A became unwell with suspected meningitis. The practice prioritised the request as urgent, therefore requiring a response within an hour. SAS contacted the practice to request approval for a...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
77match
201809644 - Scottish Ambulance Service
C complained that the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) failed to respond reasonably to the request for an emergency ambulance service for their child (A). C expressed concern about the overall time taken for A to be taken to hospital; which was approximately two hours from the original call being made requesting an emergency ambulance, to A arriving at...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
76match
202206802 - Scottish Ambulance Service
C complained about delays in ambulance response time after their elderly parent (A) had a fall at their care home. Care home staff called 999 and, following triage, the call generated an emergency but non-life-threatening response. A clinical triage call took place shortly after followed by another 999 call by care home staff. A paramedic response unit arrived...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
Committee recommendation
75match
#15 - Significant regional disparities in ambulance response times, particularly impacting rural services.
In 2021–22, mean Category 1 ambulance response times varied from six minutes 51 seconds for the London ambulance service to ten minutes 20 seconds for the South-West ambulance service, and average 999 call response times ranged from 5.4 seconds for the West Midlands ambulance service to 67.4 seconds for the South-West ambulance service.35 We asked what could be...
Matched on
terms: ambulance
PFD report
73match
David Selman
An ambulance delay resulted from a crew misunderstanding a 'stand down' order and crucial updated patient information not being relayed. This prevented appropriate paramedic deployment.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
PFD report
73match
William Davies
Significant confusion exists among prison staff, including GPs, regarding emergency ambulance procedures and death verification, leading to inappropriate actions and potential fatal delays.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
PFD report
73match
George Boulton
Delays in emergency stroke care arose from the GP failing to escalate, a bed bureau lacking emergency re-routing, and ambulance services not classifying a stroke as an immediate emergency, risking critical treatment windows.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
PFD report
73match
Christopher Connor
Ambulance response was delayed, only arriving after police expedited the call, indicating potential issues with emergency service dispatch or prioritization.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
PFD report
73match
Mandeep Singh
Ambulance arrival was significantly delayed due to severe demand, staff shortages, and challenges presented by road closures and diversions.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
73match
201507666 - Scottish Ambulance Service
Mr C complained about the time it took for the Scottish Ambulance Service to send an ambulance after he and his wife (Mrs C) were involved in a road traffic collision. It took 40 minutes for the ambulance to arrive and Mr C felt that the ambulance service should have contacted either off-duty staff or trained responders to...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
73match
PSOW-202207867 - Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Mr W complained that Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust had failed to respond to the complaint he submitted in July 2022. The Ombudsman decided that there had been a delay in WAST’s response and this had caused inconvenience and frustration for Mr W. The Ombudsman decided to settle the complaint without an investigation. The Ombudsman sought and gained...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
73match
PSOW-202302509 - Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Ms Z complained about the appropriateness of the categorisation given by Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust (“the Trust”) to an emergency call made by her father in August 2022. Ms Z also complained about the appropriateness of a welfare check made by the Trust, specifically whether further questions should have been asked which may have changed the priority...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
73match
PSOW-202308948 - Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust
Miss B complained about the care and treatment provided to her late son, Mr C, by Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust (“the Trust”) on 10 and 11 December 2022. Specifically, the handling of the 2x 999 calls made and whether a response should have been dispatched sooner, and if it had, whether earlier arrival would likely have...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
73match
24-001-351b - Southern Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (24 001 351b)
Summary: Mr A complains the Council caused delays in Mrs B being discharged from hospital because it did not complete its safeguarding enquiries quickly. We will not investigate this complaint further because we found no fault with the actions of the Council.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
PFD report
69match
Kyles Lowes
Long emergency care journey times and a single paramedic crew after 10 pm in a busy area create significant risk of delayed responses. The proposed solution relies on staff goodwill and doesn't fully mitigate risks.
Matched on
terms: delay
PFD report
69match
Mary Muldowney
Critical delays occurred in transferring a patient for essential neurosurgery due to a lack of intensive care beds, despite the time-sensitive nature of the condition, likely contributing to death.
Matched on
terms: delay
LGO / SPSO decision
69match
201807508 - Scottish Ambulance Service
Mr C called an ambulance after finding his wife (Mrs A) in a concerning condition. The ambulance took longer to arrive than Mr C felt was reasonable, and he made further calls to the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) before it arrived. When Mr C complained to SAS about this, their investigation concluded that the call had not been...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
PHSO casework decision
69match
P-004654 - South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Mrs A complains that the Trust delayed sending an ambulance, did not understand the seriousness of the incident and prevented a rapid response vehicle from attending to her son on 19 December 2022. She also raises concerns about the Trust’s complaint handling.
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
69match
PSOW-202200413 - Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
The investigation considered whether the appropriate responders/response vehicles were dispatched to Mr A (who was categorised as Amber 1) in an appropriate timeframe and whether the decision to travel at normal speed to hospital (not using sirens and blue lights) was appropriate. The investigation found that Mr A was correctly categorised as Amber 1. Whilst there is no...
Matched on
terms: ambulance
LGO / SPSO decision
69match
PSOW-202309682 - Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust
Mrs D complained about the care and treatment provided to her mother, Mrs C, by the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust (“the Trust”). The investigation considered whether failings in the Trust’s assessment of Mrs C led to delay in her receiving treatment which could have potentially avoided her death from sepsis (when the body overreacts to an...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
69match
201708212 - Scottish Ambulance Service
Mrs C complained about the length of time that her mother (Mrs A) had to wait for an ambulance. We listened to the audio recordings of the relevant phone calls, and we took independent advice from a paramedic adviser. We found that Mrs A's GP surgery had requested that Mrs A be transported to hospital within two hours,...
Matched on
terms: ambulance
LGO / SPSO decision
68match
PSOW-202306104 - Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust
Mrs A complained about a lack of care and treatment by the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust (“the Trust”) for her son, Mr B, on 14 December 2022. The Ombudsman’s investigation considered the handling of 2 999 calls, the standard of record keeping by the attending paramedic, and whether the earlier arrival of Trust staff would likely...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
68match
201502258 - Scottish Ambulance Service
Ms C complained on behalf of her father (Mr A) about a delay in transferring him home from hospital. Ms C complained that the ambulance service had not taken reasonable steps to ensure they could transfer Mr A home. The transfer was booked by staff on the hospital ward. They advised the ambulance service that, if there were...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
LGO / SPSO decision
68match
201601729 - Scottish Ambulance Service
Mrs C's husband (Mr A) suffered a suspected stroke at work. An ambulance was called. Mrs C complained that there was an unreasonable delay in an ambulance attending. She was also unhappy that the caller was not properly informed that there were no ambulances currently available and, later, that there was going to be a delay in the...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay
IOPC learning recommendation
68match
Investigation into a complaint about contact with a woman prior to her death - Greater Manchester Police, November...
The IOPC recommends that the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Cumbria Constabulary, Cheshire Constabulary, Merseyside Police, and Lancashire Constabulary finalise, agree, and implement the Joint Operating Protocol (JOP) as soon as practicable. Each agency should take action to ensure that all operational and control room staff are aware of the purpose and aims of...
Matched on
terms: ambulance, delay