We undertook a local review of the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust with the aim to consider the impact of ambulance waits outside of Emergency Departments on patient safety, privacy, dignity and overall experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A range of information sources indicate that ambulance waiting times outside hospital Emergency Departments can be excessive, particularly when the healthcare system is under pressure. This local review considered the impact of ambulance waits outside of Emergency Departments on patient safety, privacy, dignity and overall experience. The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced unique and unprecedented pressures on the healthcare system; in view of this, the review considered patient experiences over the past 12 months in order to understand what impact the pandemic has had on this issue.
The final report of the review is published below.