Ambulance service staff praised after bid to reduce Dudley A&E admissions
Ambulance service staff have been praised for helping to tackle the strain on the emergency department at Russells Hall Hospital.
The average number of patients arriving at the hospital via ambulance has been reduced since new plans were put in place in March.
Numbers have fallen from roughly 917 per week to 800 under a scheme that saw ambulances redirected when the hospital was struggling.
GP visits have also been staggered and there has been a focus on prevention with other agencies.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said patients were taken to hospital when there was no alternative.
Spokesman Murray MacGregor stressed that paramedics never made unnecessary journeys to A&E, but that there were steps that could be taken to help patients in other ways.
He said the measures put in place to help tackle the strain on A&E are working to “good effect”.
Figures reveal a total of 107,537 people were transferred to Russells Hall Hospital from April 2018 to March 2019. Of those 42,694 arriving by ambulance, which led to “considerable pressure” on the department.
The figures were revealed in a report to Dudley Council from the Dudley Group of Hospitals, Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group, and West Midlands Ambulance Service.
The report states: “This report is to highlight the specific work undertaken to reduce the number of ambulance conveyances to Russells Hall Hospital for those whose needs can be better met in the community or alternative service.
“This is one aspect of work being undertaken at Russells Hall Hospital’s emergency department to improve waiting times and response for those with the highest care needs.”
The report insists that progress is being made at the Dudley Hospital. It says the changes have led to “significant” improvement work, with the early performance indicators being positive.
