South West hospitals among UK’s worst for ambulance handovers

  • Watch ITV News' Richard Payne explain what it means for hospitals to declare critical incidents

Four of the UK’s worst-ranking hospitals for ambulance handovers are based in the South West.

Truro’s Royal Cornwall Hospital, Swindon’s Great Western Hospitals, the Royal United Hospitals in Bath and University Hospitals Plymouth top the list for delays of more than 30 minutes.

The data - published by NHS England - ranked NHS trusts by the highest percentage of ambulance handovers longer than 30 minutes in the week ending 5 January.

It showed one in every five patients - a total of 19,554 - had to wait over an hour before being handed over to A&E teams.

The Emergency Department at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. Credit: ITV News

South West NHS hospitals on the list:

It reads, from left to right: name of NHS trust, total number of handovers where time was known, number of handovers longer than 30 minutes, percentage of handovers longer than 30 minutes.

  • Royal Cornwall Hospitals 608, 502, 82.6%)

  • Great Western Hospitals 418, 332, 79.4%

  • Royal United Hospitals Bath 552, 433, 78.4%

  • University Hospitals Plymouth 560, 429, 76.6%

  • Torbay & South Devon 518, 374, 72.2%

  • Gloucestershire Hospitals 725, 489, 67.4%

  • North Bristol 666, 420, 63.1%

  • Somerset 885, 543, 61.4%

  • Royal Devon University Healthcare 1,055, 589, 55.8%

  • University Hospitals Bristol & Weston 813, 447, 55.0%

  • University Hospitals Dorset 1,001, 533, 53.2%

  • Salisbury 292, 77, 26.4%

Derriford Hospital, Plymouth Credit: Google Street View

It comes after a number of NHS hospitals in the South West - including the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Derriford Hospital and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital - declared critical incidents.

While some of these have since been stood down, hospitals across the region continue to experience high levels of flu, norovirus and other respiratory illnesses.

In response, staff, patients and visitors to Southmead Hospital’s emergency wards are being asked to wear face masks as a temporary measure.

'Here to look after patients that absolutely needed' - Chief Nursing Officer

Professor Steve Hams, who is the Chief Nursing Officer for North Bristol NHS Trust, said they are effectively operating a “one patient out, one patient in” policy.

“We’re at full capacity here at Southmead,” he told ITV News West Country.

“We do our best to ensure we balance that the best we can. Of course we want to ensure all patients that come to us are treated brilliantly and with real care and attention but it's a bit of a challenge.”

Southmead Hospital

Prof Hams urged patients to only consider going to hospital in an emergency "if you really need to".

He said: "The best thing to do if you're worried about an urgent care need is to phone or look online for NHS 111. 

“The pharmacies in Bristol and surrounding areas are brilliant and will offer lots and lots of support. 

“But, of course, if you are poorly or you're worried about somebody, we will always be here to look after patients that absolutely need it.