Fury as patient 'dies in ambulance' outside hospital after no beds were available
The patient died in an ambulance outside Fairfield General Hospital in Buey, Greater Manchester. Antibiotic treatment was administered by hospital staff before the patient went into cardiac arrest, according to NHS sources.
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An investigation has now begun by North West Ambulance Service after it is believed that the patient died outside the hospital with no beds available on Tuesday. It comes as paramedics across the country have raised concerns that ambulances are being treated as "extra wards" as the crisis regarding the lack of hospital beds intensifies.
According to Manchester Evening News, patients are frequently being held inside ambulances for hours waiting for beds to become available.
During the summer, ambulances were seen lining up outside hospitals as the NHS was strained by the heatwave.
According to NHS workers,in the North West it is likely that more patients will have to wait in ambulances over the winter as the number of ill people will cause strain on hospital bed space.
The patient was taken to hospital on Tuesday will a chest infection, according to the Manchester Evening News.
5 hours and 40 minutes waiting in an ambulance parked outside the hospital. I am so angry my gran has had to go through this, it’s proof positive that Scotlands NHS is broken. How many people were left waiting on ambulances tonight while 7 were parked in a queue? 2/
— David Mackay (@DavidMackay2795) October 20, 2022
Treatment began in the ambulance before the patient went into cardiac arrest.
A senior NHS source told The Daily Mirror that a "do not attempt resuscitation" (DNAR) order was in place so paramedics did not attempt to start the patient's heart.
They said: "A patient was taken to hospital with a chest infection and held outside in the back of the ambulance.
"Treatment began on the ambulance, the hospital started antibiotic treatment.
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Oh good, another NHS Award Ceremony is in full swing tonight. Leaving the cost of these events and how little they contribute to patients, I really don’t get the optics of this all this mutual back-slapping while ambulances are piled up outside the front door.
— Dave Jones ������������������������������������������������️������������������ (@WelshGasDoc) October 20, 2022
This is simply so sad for the patient involved. The government must find a way to change this, dealing with the lack of beds in both hospital and social care and the difficulties retaining and recruiting health and social care staff.
— Jess Plant (@IAmJessPlant) October 20, 2022
In many ways, the #NHS is broken. https://t.co/VuFiuc8hdK
"The patient has gone into cardiac arrest.
"The patient was elderly and there was a DNAR in place, so no resuscitation was attempted."
The death has prompted fury in the ambulance service amid fears from staff that cardiac arrest could have been prevented if a bed had been available for the patient in the hospital.
One paramedic told The Daily Mirror that by dying in the back of an ambulance the patient had been denied dignity.
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You don't need kindness. You need MASSIVE investment in NHS to increase staff, equipment, beds and reduce the pressure on all you wonderful people.
— Rooms of our Own (@roomso4own) October 20, 2022
They said: "The patient has died on the back of an ambulance.
"It’s not right, it’s just insane.
"Every hospital is holding ambulances outside.
"I’ve had occasions where I’ve taken over from the night shift and the patient hasn’t even made it through the door.
"They’ve been in the ambulance for eight hours, treated there and sent back home.
"Every hospital is really struggling to get patients through the door. Some hospitals will treat us as another ward.”