Paramedics have described the situation as undignified and unsafe (Picture: MEN)
The state of problems in A&Es came to a head on Tuesday when an elderly patient died in an ambulance while waiting for a bed.
They suffered a cardiac arrest outside Fairfield General Hospital in Bury despite hospital staff trying coming out of the building to try and help them.
They were taken to hospital with a chest infection, but the ambulance was held outside because there were no beds available, according to sources.
An NHS source said: ‘A patient was taken to hospital with a chest infection and held outside in the back of the ambulance. Treatment began on the ambulance, the hospital started antibiotic treatment.
‘The patient has gone into cardiac arrest. The patient was elderly and there was a DNAR in place, so no resuscitation was attempted.’
A paramedic described the patients death in the back of an ambulance as being undignified.
They said: ‘The patient has died on the back of an ambulance. It’s not right, it’s just insane.
‘Every hospital is holding ambulances outside. I’ve had occasions where I’ve taken over from the night shift and the patient hasn’t even made it through the door.
‘They’ve been in the ambulance for eight hours, treated there, and sent back home. Every hospital is really struggling to get patients through the door. Some hospitals will treat us as another ward.’
Another added: ‘What happened on Tuesday might put this at the forefront of what’s going on. It’s not safe.
‘It’s doctor-led care when you’re outside the hospital but the doctors aren’t staying with the patients because they have others to look after inside the building. Paramedics have a limited scope of practice – there are things we’re not trained to do that are being seen in the care given on ambulances.
‘That patient should not have died in the back of an ambulance. What about their dignity? It’s not the fault of individual staff members, they’re working as hard as they can. There’s just not the capacity in the system to deal with the demand.’
An investigation has now been started because some believe that the patient could have survived if they were being monitored in hospital.
Pressure on A&E departments has been in focus for some time. In August people were urged to avoid going to casualty to help ease pressure.
There have also been reports of 40-hour waits and emergency departments running out of beds.
Paramedics have described the situation as undignified and unsafe.