Leicester Royal Infirmary Ambulance Backlog 'Will Be Fixed In A Year'

2 February 2016, 09:51 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Lengthy delays which have prevented ambulances handing over patients to Leicester Royal Infirmary's A&E department will be ``fixed in time for next year'', the Government has said.

Senior Labour MP Keith Vaz warned 856 patients waited between two and four hours to be transferred from an ambulance to A&E at Leicester Royal Infirmary in 2015.

He added 10 of Leicestershire's 25 ambulances were parked outside the hospital on January 24 this year and called for better management to resolve the problems.

In reply, Health Minister Ben Gummer told the MP for Leicester East: ``You raise issues which have been severe in Leicester and I'm aware of them.

``I'm very happy to have a separate meeting with you to discuss those and what is being done about it.

``Across the country we're actually seeing rather better performance this winter than last.

``That's because of the extraordinary amount of planning that's been put in by the NHS and the fact we're getting better at dealing with the extraordinary pressures that happen during winter.

``But in Leicester there has been a particular issue, I'm aware of it and I'd like to reassure you that it'll be fixed in time for next year.''

Mr Vaz had asked Mr Gummer: ``What help and assistance can you give to the ambulance service in Leicester? On Sunday, January 24, 10 ambulances were parked outside A&E at the Royal Infirmary - 10 out of 25 in the whole of Leicestershire trying to handover patients to the staff.

``On 856 occasions in the last year, there had to be a wait of between two and four hours to handover those patients.

``What we need in Leicester is not more consultants but a better system of management.''