Two-thirds of A&E patients are waiting outside Bristol hospitals in ambulances for more than an hour

A hospital trust in Bristol had the worst ambulance handover times in the country - with almost 50 patients forced to wait in ambulances for more than an hour every day outside A&Es.

Latest data shows 326 handovers at university Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation, which runs the Bristol Royal Infirmary, took more than an hour in the week up to January 2.

They also reveal 474 patients were delayed by more than 30 minutes - that equates to 67% of all patients, which is the highest percentage of all the country’s 143 hospital health trusts.

Nationally, delays outside hospitals were getting so long, paramedics were often streaming Netflix on their work tablets for their patients, according to the College of Paramedics.

When approached by BristolWorld, the hospital trust said that patient safety was its ‘priority’ and put the delays down to ‘sustained pressure’ on its emergency departments.

Latest data shows in the same week up to January 2, 302 trust staff were off due to Covid, or because they were self-isolating, while almost all general and acute beds (96%) were occupied.

The trust declared a critical incident due to the issues, and last week it banned patients from visiting adult wards.

Dr Emma Redfern, interim medical director at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS  Foundation Trust, said: “We always aim to see and treat patients as quickly as possible, and all patients arriving at  our emergency departments are triaged and assessed with the most clinically urgent being  prioritised.

“Like other hospitals, our ability to admit patients in a timely way is also being impacted by  staffing challenges, the number of COVID-19 patients needing admission, and infection  control guidance which means we have separate wards for Covid-19 and non-Covid-19  patients to maintain safety but this reduces the flexible use of our beds.

“We also face challenges in ensuring the timely discharge of medically fit patients. We are  working together with local health and care partners to ensure that people who need hospital care can be admitted and then discharged from hospital safely as soon as they are medically  well enough to leave.

“Family and friends of patients can also help by being ready to collect  their loved one from hospital when we call, and supporting them when they get home.

“We would like to apologise to any of our patients who have experienced a longer wait at our  emergency departments.”

The College of Paramedics has, however, raised concern about the impact of delays on patients in ambulances.

In an interview with The Telegraph, chief executive Tracy Nicholls said: “Paramedics are spending all their time apologising to everyone for their waits and distress.

“If you’ve got a tricky or awkward relationship with the patient, you could be sitting with them for several hours in the back of a metal box and tensions can build.

She added: “Paramedics are innovative creatures. I’ve heard that some crews have streamed Netflix onto their trust iPads and strapped it to the stretcher so that those patients who are able can watch shows while they wait.”