HUNDREDS of patients arriving at hospital in ambulances are being forced to wait far longer than the recommended 15 minutes to be handed over to emergency staff at the Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Figures for 2013/14, obtained by the Lancashire Telegraph through Freedom of Information laws, showed 1,435 patients were left waiting with paramedics for more than 30 minutes, while 83 waited at least an hour. One patient waited more than two hours.

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The Royal Blackburn’s emergency department is frequently described as ‘the busiest in the North West’, and figures suggest staff are struggling to cope with the volume of patients.

Just 72 per cent of patients were seen in 15 minutes, down from 79 per cent in 2012/13. This was despite fewer ambulances arriving last year, with 36,592 compared to 46,302 in 2012/13, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) said it had recently increased the number of assessment rooms and staff for patients arriving by ambulance, which has helped improve performance since April.

George Dixon, a recently-retired ambulance technician, said delays at the Royal Blackburn were one of the most frustrating parts of his job, as crews often ‘get stuck’ waiting with a patient, which increases the pressure on colleagues.

The Care Quality Commission also highlighted the problem during its inspection in spring, but said there were ‘early indications’ a new rapid assessment protocol was effective.

Catriona Logan, general manager for the integrated care group at ELHT, said: “The trust has made a number of significant improvements since the performance figures for 2013/14 were gathered.

“The number of arrival screens used to record ambulance arrivals and handover times is being increased and these are being placed in the triage/patient assessment rooms to improve information for staff and patients.

“The trust meets with the North West Ambulance Service every week and reasons for patient handover delays are discussed in detail to identify where changes can be made.

“Patients are never left in the back of the ambulance at the Royal Blackburn Hospital – every patient is brought into the emergency department to await treatment.”