How long Cheshire ambulance patients are left waiting at A&E

That is according to new data published by NHS England which has revealed the proportion of ambulance patients left waiting.

At Cheshire East hospitals, 12 per cent of handovers took longer than 60 minutes.

In total, the trust dealt with 181 handovers in the week up to January 28.

Of these, 71 (39 per cent) took at least 30 minutes to be handed over to A&E teams, with 22 taking over an hour.

“Similar to other healthcare providers, East Cheshire NHS Trust has been experiencing a high level of demand and delays in patients being discharged over the winter period,” said a spokesperson for East Cheshire NHS Trust.

“Our teams continue to work hard to assess and treat patients as quickly as possible, with staff focusing on providing safe patient care. We also continue to work closely with colleagues in primary and social care settings across East Cheshire, to ensure that patients are discharged in a timely manner and help address the delays that people are experiencing.

“To help reduce A&E waits we encourage everyone to only attend A&E and use the ambulance service for serious accidents and emergencies. Local pharmacies and your GP surgery can provide support in the first instance where appropriate, while NHS 111 is available 24/7 for medical help and advice.”

East Cheshire NHS Trust is responsible for the A&E department at Macclesfield Hospital (Image: Google Maps)

Over in Mid Cheshire, the trust dealt with a total of 399 handovers.

Of these, nearly a third (119) took at least half an hour.

However, just six per cent (24) took longer than 60 minutes.

A spokesperson for Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “The NHS in Cheshire and Merseyside is working closely with partners across all parts of the health and social care system to help free up more capacity, and address the delays that people are currently experiencing.

“The public can also play their part by taking simple measures to stay well this winter such as getting winter vaccines when invited to, keeping their home warm, staying active, looking out for others, and using services wisely.

“Please remember that A&E should only be used for major, life-threatening illnesses and injuries. For conditions which are less urgent, please use NHS 111, or consider visiting a local pharmacy, walk-in centre or GP practice for support instead.”

Leighton Hospital's A&E is overseen by Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Image: Google Maps)

A North West Ambulance Service spokesperson added: “Hospitals across the North West remain very busy as a result of winter pressures.

“We work closely with them and our healthcare partners to minimise delays outside hospital departments as we understand they can negatively affect patients in the community who are waiting.

“We have been providing more support in the form of senior clinicians working to support the patients who have been waiting either face-to-face or on the phone and potentially resolving their issues without taking them to A&E. Also arranging for volunteers to provide refreshments for crews at hospitals.”