Royal Bolton Hospital A&E say 80 ambulances over single day

The scenes at the Minerva Road hospital on December 26 sparked widespread alarm after reports of up to 15 ambulances backed up at once, with the most ambulances queuing overall in the region.

Now, Bolton Council has heard questions on what can be done to relieve the huge pressures the hospital is facing.

Cllr Neil Maher, of Westhoughton South, said: “The executive cabinet member for adults, health and wellbeing might be aware of recent press articles reporting the 'total chaos' at Bolton Royal’s A&E department on Boxing Day, with queues of 'up to 15 ambulances' with ill patients on board queuing up outside.

“Ambulances queuing for many hours takes valuable ‘finite’ ambulance resources out of the system, and hence not available for other urgent and emergency calls.

An aerial view of Royal Bolton Hospital (Image: Bolton NHS Foundation Trust)

“This has a detrimental effect to the ambulance Trust’s ability to respond to patients and deliver care in our community.”

Waiting times have been a frequent cause of concern at Royal Bolton A&E over recent months and years.

Only on Friday January 7 this year, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust warned that waiting times had hit 13 hours.

But the scenes of Boxing Day were some of the worst the hospital has seen in recent times.

Addressing a full meeting of Bolton Council, Cllr Maher asking what was being done to try and stop similar scenes breaking out over the next festive period this year.

In response, cabinet member for adults, health and wellbeing Cllr Linda Thomas laid bare the challenge Bolton NHS Foundation Trust was facing.

She told town hall that over that single day on December 26, 81 patients were brought to Royal Bolton Hospital by ambulance, the most in Greater Manchester.

The same day, 347 patients went to the accident and emergency department, a rise on last years total of 326.

Cllr Thomas, who is also co-chair of the Bolton Locality Board which oversees health and social care, said that the hospital had had to cope with the discovery of RAAC concrete at the maternity unit.

She said: “Patient flow through the emergency department and the rest of the hospital presents a challenge, and I think that’s an understatement, which subsequently impacted on their ability to timely release ambulances on Boxing Day.”

Cllr Thomas said that the Trust was dealing with “unprecedented pressures” and said the best way to help free up space would be better funding for adult social care.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has already acknowledged the waits people had to endure on Boxing Day where “no acceptable.”

Chief operating officer Rae Wheatcroft said: “We continue to be very busy and our staff are working extremely hard to ensure all of our patients get the care they need safely, effectively and as quickly as possible.

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“We will always see those who need our help most urgently first.

“However, it is clear that the amount of time some people have to wait for care is not acceptable, so we continue to do everything we can to get people home safely, get people who need care into a suitable bed as soon as possible, and minimise the time people spend waiting for minor treatment.

“People can help us during the busy winter period by choosing the appropriate NHS service.

"We’re always here to help in a life or limb-threatening emergency, but if your condition isn’t urgent, please consider using your local GP, pharmacy or NHS 111 online for help with your symptoms.”