November 28, 2019 3.36 pm This story is over 52 months old

Ambulances queue round the block as pressure mounts at Lincoln’s A&E

Ambulances are queuing around the car park
Photo: Alex Rhodes/BBC Radio Lincolnshire

Patients are waiting over 12 hours to be seen and ambulances are queueing around the hospital car park as the pressure continues to mount on Lincoln’s A&E.

Lincoln County Hospital is “exceptionally busy” and told patients earlier this week to avoid the accident and emergency department if they can.

Patients with serious conditions such as suspected blood clots are facing lengthy delays to be seen as there is an “unprecedented demand” for people to be seen at the emergency department.

ULHT said its GP colleagues are increasing the number of urgent appointments available to help reduce the pressure on A&E.

A hospital spokesperson said: “We are continuing to see increasing numbers of patients attending our A&Es, many of whom are very poorly and need to be admitted to one of our wards.

“As a result of this unprecedented demand, our wards are extremely busy and patients are facing waits to be admitted to hospital beds which is causing delays in our A&E.

“We know that once a person is medically fit to go home, hospital is not the best place for them and so we are working very closely with our partners to get these patients home or to a more suitable place of care as soon as they need it.

“We also ask that patients choose well and use pharmacy and GP services in the community before coming to one of our A&E departments.

“We are aware that our GP colleagues are also busy and are supporting patients by increasing the number of urgent appointments available, which we hope will also reduce the number of people needing to come to A&E.

“We would like to thank all of our staff, as well as health and social care partners, who are working together tirelessly to help patients access the most appropriate care that they need.”

Earlier this month, the former Lincoln MP Karen Lee said the situation at A&E was the “worst my contact has seen” with waiting times up to 20 hours.

Former staff at Lincoln County Hospital previously spoke out about problems of safety and understaffing, which they claim were flagged up but never addressed.