Patients are having to wait in ambulances for up to three hours when they arrive at Black Country hospitals, the Express & Star can reveal.

Health bosses are taking urgent action to combat massive delays in the region, with more than four out of five people being left for more than 15 minutes before being admitted.

Dudley’s Russells Hall Hospital was among the worst performing in the region, with 88.3 per cent of 2,296 ambulance patients waiting more than 15 minutes.

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Patients are having to wait in ambulances for up to three hours when they arrive at Black Country hospitals, the Express & Star can reveal.

Health bosses are taking urgent action to combat massive delays in the region, with more than four out of five people being left for more than 15 minutes before being admitted.

Dudley’s Russells Hall Hospital was among the worst performing in the region, with 88.3 per cent of 2,296 ambulance patients waiting more than 15 minutes.New Cross in Wolverhampton had a figure of 83.6 per cent, Walsall Manor recorded 83.5, with Sandwell marginally better at 77.7.

Craig Cooke, locality director at West Midlands Ambulance Trust (WMAT), said moves to improve the situation were already afoot.

Russells Hall Hospital spokeswoman Suzanne Fothergill said: “The trust is currently experiencing high volumes of patients accessing the emergency department at the hospital.

“Between January 1 and 10 inclusive, the trust has experienced a 15 per cent increase in patients coming in by ambulances compared to the same period in 2006.”