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A&E's 15-minute ambulance target A&E's 15-minute ambulance target
(about 2 hours later)
Accident and emergency departments in Wales have been given a 15 minute target to get patients out of ambulances on arrival at hospital.Accident and emergency departments in Wales have been given a 15 minute target to get patients out of ambulances on arrival at hospital.
Health Minister Edwina Hart has set the time limit in a bid to stop ambulances queuing outside A&E units and to free them up for other emergencies.Health Minister Edwina Hart has set the time limit in a bid to stop ambulances queuing outside A&E units and to free them up for other emergencies.
The Welsh Assembly Government said staff already worked towards the target but from April it would be mandatory.The Welsh Assembly Government said staff already worked towards the target but from April it would be mandatory.
Doctors warned it must not mean patients are left waiting on trolleys.Doctors warned it must not mean patients are left waiting on trolleys.
The British Association of Emergency Medicine backed the target as helping ambulances meet their critical eight minute deadline to reach emergency calls. The British Association of Emergency Medicine backed the target as a way of helping ambulances meet their critical eight minute deadline for reaching emergency calls.
But the association's Welsh spokesman Peter Richmond warned it should not mean patients are simply waiting for treatment in a hospital corridor instead.But the association's Welsh spokesman Peter Richmond warned it should not mean patients are simply waiting for treatment in a hospital corridor instead.
There are also alternatives to simply taking patients to A&E Peter Richmond, A&E consultantThere are also alternatives to simply taking patients to A&E Peter Richmond, A&E consultant
"The difficulties arise where the ambulance service simply offload patients into trolleys where there is no space, and no one to oversee them," said Mr Richmond, who is a consultant at the A&E department of the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff."The difficulties arise where the ambulance service simply offload patients into trolleys where there is no space, and no one to oversee them," said Mr Richmond, who is a consultant at the A&E department of the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff.
"This can lead to an unsafe, confused environment where ill patients are left in trolleys - are they being assessed and reviewed properly?""This can lead to an unsafe, confused environment where ill patients are left in trolleys - are they being assessed and reviewed properly?"
He said other options should also be looked at to help prevent congestion at A&E.He said other options should also be looked at to help prevent congestion at A&E.
"These include more careful scheduling of relatively non-urgent ambulance arrivals," he said."These include more careful scheduling of relatively non-urgent ambulance arrivals," he said.
"There are also alternatives to simply taking patients to A&E. Perhaps the out of hours service can handle them, GPs, or the paramedics dealing with them without bringing them to A&E.""There are also alternatives to simply taking patients to A&E. Perhaps the out of hours service can handle them, GPs, or the paramedics dealing with them without bringing them to A&E."
The handover period, which is subject to the 15 minute target, starts from when the A&E staff are notified by the ambulance crew that a patient has arrived and needs to be seen.The handover period, which is subject to the 15 minute target, starts from when the A&E staff are notified by the ambulance crew that a patient has arrived and needs to be seen.
It ends when the patient has been transferred into the care of A&E staff and the crew are free to return to the ambulance.It ends when the patient has been transferred into the care of A&E staff and the crew are free to return to the ambulance.
Quality of servicesQuality of services
The Welsh Assembly Government said the NHS already worked to the target but this wouild now be mandatory and achieving it would require organisations to work together.The Welsh Assembly Government said the NHS already worked to the target but this wouild now be mandatory and achieving it would require organisations to work together.
"From April 2008 this becomes a priority target in line with the targets for responses to immediately life threatening calls by the emergency ambulance service and waits of no longer than four hours in a major accident and emergency department," said a spokesman."From April 2008 this becomes a priority target in line with the targets for responses to immediately life threatening calls by the emergency ambulance service and waits of no longer than four hours in a major accident and emergency department," said a spokesman.
He added: "Reducing handover times will improve the experience for patients and help release emergency ambulances to respond to life threatening 999 calls."He added: "Reducing handover times will improve the experience for patients and help release emergency ambulances to respond to life threatening 999 calls."
The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust said it would be "working closely with colleagues at the hospitals in order to achieve these turnaround times".The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust said it would be "working closely with colleagues at the hospitals in order to achieve these turnaround times".
In September 2007, the trust confirmed patients were regularly waiting more than 50 minutes in ambulances outside south east Wales A&E departments.In September 2007, the trust confirmed patients were regularly waiting more than 50 minutes in ambulances outside south east Wales A&E departments.
In March, it said 11 of its ambulances were queued up outside the UHW in Cardiff because there were no beds available for patients.In March, it said 11 of its ambulances were queued up outside the UHW in Cardiff because there were no beds available for patients.
During the same period people waited more than two hours to be admitted to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant as emergencies "overwhelmed" the hospital, it said.During the same period people waited more than two hours to be admitted to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant as emergencies "overwhelmed" the hospital, it said.