Urgent Measures Planned as Winter Strain Hits West Midlands Hospitals

As winter pressures escalate, hospitals in the West Midlands are bracing for increased demand that is already straining emergency services. NHS leaders have expressed alarm over the lengthy delays ambulances are experiencing outside Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments in Birmingham and the Black Country. According to the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, immediate actions are being considered to alleviate the situation.

On December 8, 2023, the trust declared a critical incident after admitting a total of 269 inpatients, including nine classified as critical. This follows a concerning trend observed the previous week, when a third of all ambulances in the West Midlands were reportedly stuck outside hospitals at various times. This included significant delays for ‘category two’ ambulance responses, which cater to patients suffering from serious conditions such as chest pain and strokes, with wait times exceeding 30 minutes.

Anticipating Further Challenges

As winter conditions worsen, NHS officials anticipate that pressures on services will intensify. The situation is compounded by the planned industrial action by resident doctors set to commence on December 17, 2023. During a meeting of the joint NHS Birmingham and Solihull and NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB), several potential strategies were discussed to manage the increasing demand on emergency services.

David Melbourne, chief executive of the ICB, outlined a few key measures that could be implemented. One suggestion is to activate winter plans earlier than usual, which might include utilizing additional capacity at the Midland Metropolitan Hospital in Smethwick. Another proposal involves deploying general practitioners at the entrances of hospitals to assist in managing patient inflow. Additionally, the ICB may provide support to facilitate the discharge of patients from hospitals.

Melbourne highlighted the differences in challenges faced by various ambulance services, stating, “If you look at East Midlands Ambulance Service and West Midlands Ambulance Service, they have two different challenges.” He noted that while the East Midlands has fewer ambulances, resulting in longer wait times for service, the West Midlands faces the issue of ambulances being unable to return to service due to being tied up at hospitals.

Current Situation and Future Outlook

The West Midlands has a higher number of ambulances, which has resulted in crews spending excessive time waiting outside A&E departments. “Last Monday, a third of all the West Midlands ambulances were sitting outside A&E departments somewhere across the region,” Melbourne pointed out. As a result, patients are experiencing longer wait times in ambulances, particularly those suffering from strokes, which had increased to over 31 minutes.

The persistent issue of ambulance delays illustrates the urgent need for effective solutions as the region prepares for a challenging winter season. Officials are evaluating their options carefully, focusing on immediate interventions to enhance service capacity and improve patient care as the flu season approaches and industrial actions loom.

The actions taken in the coming weeks will be crucial in determining how effectively the West Midlands can navigate this period of heightened demand for healthcare services.