Long ambulance wait times force a third of A&E patients to make their journey to the hospital, according to the data.
A survey reveals that those in need of urgent medical care drive themselves or take public transportation rather than wait for an ambulance.
The survey, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, involved more than 2,000 adults who reported calling 999 for an ambulance for themselves or a family member within the past year.
Due to the lengthy wait times, one-third of respondents drove themselves to the hospital, one-tenth took a taxi, and six percent used public transportation such as the bus or train.
In February, the average response time for ambulances responding to the most urgent incidents – defined as calls from individuals with life-threatening illnesses or injuries – was eight minutes and thirty seconds, exceeding the target of seven minutes.
Responding to emergency inquiries such as heart attacks, strokes, and sepsis took approximately 32 minutes and 20 seconds, while the target is 18 minutes.
A health regulator condemned hospital handover delays last month after observing a patient lingering for nearly an entire day in an ambulance.
Amid the 20-hour wait at the doors of an A&E in the West Midlands, the crew had to be replaced. The Care Quality Commission warned that these delays would prevent ambulances from responding to other requests.
Daisy Cooper, the health spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, commented on the poll results as follows: “These frightening numbers disclose the horror of England’s ambulance crisis. This is a scandalous act. The British public pays their fair share of taxes to finance the National Health Service. And they should at least be able to expect an ambulance in their time of need.
The Health Department stated, “We do not recognize these numbers.” We are working diligently to improve ambulance response times, which have decreased significantly since the winter’s peak in December.
Our Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan will allow patients to be seen more quickly by expanding community teams. Introducing virtual wards, and deploying 800 additional ambulances.
This is in addition to the £750 million provided this winter to expedite hospital discharges.
