Southend Hospital ambulance queues persist despite new unit

Paul Williams, 57, of south Benfleet, claims his father was stuck outside the hospital in an ambulance for four hours on Tuesday before being left waiting a further six hours in a corridor for treatment.

Mr Williams says he has visited the hospital’s A&E department four times in the last three months with his father Collin Williams, 86, who suffers from COPD – a lung condition that causes breathing difficulties.

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On Tuesday morning his father suffered a fall and fractured his arm; he arrived at the hospital by ambulance at 2.30pm.

Left waiting - Collin Williams (Image: Collin Williams)

Mr Williams says he was surprised to find more than 15 ambulances queuing outside the hospital when he arrived to meet his father, who was still stuck in one of the ambulances.

“It’s without doubt a total waste of time and money,” Mr Williams said.

“The times we had come to the hospital before that building opened it was horrendous, with 14 or 15 ambulances every time.

“But this time, it was just as bad if not even worse.”

Recent addition - The £250,000 ambulance handover unit was opened earlier this month (Image: MSE)

Mr Williams’ father was not admitted to the ambulance handover unit, despite it not being at its 12-patient capacity, and had to wait until 6.30pm to be moved into the hospital.

He then waited until 12.30am to be seen by doctors, with ambulance staff staying with him while he sat in a hospital corridor.

“The whole thing was absurd,” Mr Williams said.

“We were told this new building would stop this stuff from happening but what we found was the same old situation.”

The ambulance handover unit was opened earlier this month to help paramedics get back out on the road and reduce ambulance queues.

Not all patients arriving by ambulance will be seen in the unit, including people having severe life-threatening issues such as heart attacks, breathing difficulties or strokes.

In a joint statement, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust and East of England Ambulance Service, said: “We are sorry about Mr Williams’ experience, his health needs meant that he did not meet the criteria to be moved to the ambulance handover unit.

“A large number of patients have been arriving at ED by ambulance, and where appropriate they have been seen in the ambulance handover unit, helping ease pressure, support the emergency department and get ambulances back on the road.”