New data revealed that the South Central Ambulance Service 'lost' thousands of hours in September waiting to hand over patients at hospitals.
Data revealed at a Hampshire County Council meeting showed that the South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) lost 5,238 hours waiting to hand over patients in September.
This is equivalent to 218 days’ worth of staff and vehicles that could not respond to people waiting for help elsewhere.
Residents in Hampshire are responsible for approximately 22,000 incidents a month out of a total of approximately 50,000, representing 36.7 percent of SCAS’ total activity.
Between April and September 2024/25, the number of incidents fell by around 250 a month. However, council officers warned that demand is likely to increase again due to winter pressures.
Delays in handovers to hospitals significantly impact SCAS and the ability to respond to patients.
The average handover time across the SCAS area is now 00:31:33. However, the average at the Queen Alexandra Hospital (QAH) is 01:33:59.
This means that between April and September, the QAH lost a total of 18,533 hours, followed by Southampton Hospital, which lost 1,930 hours, North Hants, which lost 1,161 hours, and Bournemouth, which lost 782 hours.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here