Concern over patients' A&E wait

Greg Clark MP feared ambulances were being forced out of action

Calls are being made for more hospital wards to be opened after A&E patients were kept waiting in ambulances.

Greg Clark, Tunbridge Wells MP, said he was concerned bed shortages at the Kent and Sussex Hospital meant people were regularly kept in the vehicles.

The NHS trust said unexpectedly high demands had been placed on A&E services and no individual had been put at risk.

It said urgent cases were admitted, and it was carrying out a review to avoid the situation occurring again.

On Thursday, hospitals across the east of England were placed on "black alert" after staff and wards were overwhelmed by high patient numbers.

'Major concern'

Mr Clark said during a visit to the Kent and Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells on Friday: "Such is the shortage of beds in our hospitals that regularly ambulances are having to wait outside the hospitals, unable to admit their patients.

"That is obviously a major concern for the patients themselves but also if it takes the ambulances out of action that means the ambulance may not be available for the next emergency."

Mark Atkinson, general manager for emergency services at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, said: "Earlier this week, in common with many other local hospitals, we had unexpectedly high demands placed on our A&E at the Kent and Sussex Hospital.

"Simultaneously there were some delays in discharging patients who had recovered, and freeing up beds to allow us to move patients from the A&E into the hospital."

Mr Atkinson said it was decided that a small number of patients could safely stay in an ambulance for 30 minutes.

"Each patient was carefully assessed, no individual was put at risk and at no time were more than two or three kept waiting in this way," he added.