Ambulance delays outside hospitals in the West Midlands continue to present a significant challenge for NHS leaders, with crews losing thousands of hours waiting to handover patients.
The issue will be discussed at the upcoming meeting of the Birmingham and Solihull and Black Country NHS Joint Integrated Care Board (ICB) Cluster. A recent report to the board highlighted that long waits, delays in patient handovers, and a lack of alternatives to Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments are adversely affecting ambulance services across the region.
Danielle Oum, Chair of the ICB Cluster Board, has engaged with leadership from West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) to explore collaborative solutions aimed at tackling these persistent problems.
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Statistics from the Black Country reveal that ambulance handovers exceeding 15 minutes increased from 6,162 incidents in June to 6,902 in July. Among hospital trusts, Royal Wolverhampton Trust recorded the highest number of handover delays, resulting in 2,683 hours lost, followed by Dudley with 2,328 hours. Walsall performed the best with 300 hours lost, while Sandwell experienced 1,491 hours lost to delays.
In her report to the board, Danielle Oum stated: “Ambulance staff continue to face significant pressures due to prolonged waits, handover delays, and limited alternatives to A&E; these challenges are fully acknowledged by NHS leaders across our region.”
She emphasised that ambulance crews have a unique frontline perspective, witnessing both strengths and areas for improvement within the health and care system. In particular, crews observe variation in access to community-based services such as urgent community response, falls services, same-day emergency care, and mental health support.
“Our colleagues within the ICB are collaborating with partners across the West Midlands to develop a consistent regional approach,” Oum explained. “WMAS staff and leaders will be instrumental in shaping future community and urgent care services.”
She underlined the shared ambition of designing better patient pathways to enhance experience, reduce unnecessary hospital visits, and enable ambulance crews to provide appropriate care promptly and in the most suitable setting.
Oum also highlighted a recent meeting with WMAS Chair Professor Ian Cumming OBE, noting improvement in response performance but acknowledging that handover delays and lost hours remain a significant obstacle. Tackling these delays forms a key objective of emerging service models.
In closing, she expressed gratitude “on behalf of our Board” to WMAS staff for their exceptional response during recent fires in the region, particularly those involved in the Stourbridge incidents.