Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital: Ambulances queue up as A&E demand soars
Ambulances were left queuing outside Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital yesterday as A&E departments were pushed to breaking point on one of the busiest days of the year.
Drivers were forced to pull up on kerbs as there was no room outside the main entrance to A&E.
People were warned only to call 999 for life-threatening and serious incidents in a bid to try and ease the pressure.
West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) said calls from the Black Country had risen by 11.2 per cent compared to the same day last year. The figure was 15.2 per cent in Staffordshire.
Busy call handlers were not helped by one person calling 999 complaining she was unable to work her new mobile phone. Acting chief executive of the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Paul Harrison said: "The hospital received as many ambulances by lunch time as we would expect by early evening. This is putting unprecedented pressure on our emergency services.
"People with minor problems coming to hospital will have a long wait as the most poorly patients will be seen and treated first. As always, our extremely hard working staff continue to go above and beyond to ensure that patients are safe and cared for appropriately.
"We are asking patients to consider visiting their local walk-in centre, urgent care centre, GP or local pharmacist. If anyone is unsure of the most appropriate service for them, they can call NHS 111 for advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
WMAS spokesman Murray McGregor said the service had been 'very busy', with staff having to deal with a higher-than-expected number of calls.
He said it was partly down to the weather and the fact it is winter but that there was no particular reason for the spike in calls compared to last year.
The ambulance service and the region's hospitals are preparing for what is traditionally the busiest time of the year over Christmas and New Year, with 999 calls only expected to increase further. Mr McGregor said: "At times like this it's vital that people use the NHS wisely so that they get the help they need quickly. "
