Covid, flu and norovirus pushing services to the brink of total shutdown.With Covid cases surging, some hospitals are already warning an ambulance may not be the quickest way to get help in an emergency.
Patients have been asked to drive or take a taxi to the hospital instead of calling 999.Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said hospitals are running out of space for those patients who make it.
He added: “We are short of about 14,000 beds across the NHS.”READ MORE: Boy 3, who was killed by tractor 'will find his way back to me', says mumAll ambulance trusts have now been placed on the highest possible “black alert”.
The average response time for heart attack and stroke victims was 51 minutes in June, compared to a target of 18 minutes.East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) has warned patients to only call 999 as a “last resort” after trying other ways of getting medical help.A spokesman said: “If you arrive at the hospital in an ambulance, it doesn’t mean you’ll receive priority over patients who arrive by car or taxi.
Read more on dailystar.co.uk