SCORES of ambulance patients have faced significant delays when being handed over to hospital accident and emergency services in the district, latest figures show.

The NHS states that trusts should complete 95 per cent of ambulance handovers in 30 minutes – and all should be conducted in less than an hour.

NHS England statistics reveal that 28 patients waited between 30 and 60 minutes in an ambulance when they arrived at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust in the week to December 3.

This meant ten per cent of 276 patients experienced delays – an increase from four per cent during the same period in 2022. The statistics cover patients for whom the handover time was known.

Meanwhile, five other people – equating to two per cent – were forced to wait for more than an hour, while 100 handovers (36 per cent) took between 15 and 30 minutes.

At Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in the same week, 61 patients waited between 30 and 60 minutes in an ambulance.

That meant nine per cent of 647 patients experienced delays – in line with the same period in 2022. Again, the figures cover patients for whom the handover time was known.

Twenty-nine other people – four per cent – were forced to wait for more than an hour, and 148 handovers (23 per cent) took between 15 and 30 minutes.

Danielle Jefferies, senior analyst at health think tank The King’s Fund, said: “The Government needs more long-term, big-picture thinking if it’s to truly solve the issue of ambulance handover delays.”

When asked about the issue, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Airedale NHS Foundation Trust directed the media to a statement issued by the NHS.

The NHS spokesperson said: “In 2023, we set out our plans for winter earlier than ever before.

“As part of our urgent and emergency care recovery plan, we are rolling out a host of measures to improve hospital flow, reduce ambulance handover delays further and increase the number of ambulance hours on the road. The plan includes 5,000 extra core beds to boost capacity and reduce waiting times for patients.”

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Ambulance Service says: “We acknowledge that the situation at many hospitals remains challenging and we continue to work with our partners to address handover delays, as well as reduce waiting times for those needing an emergency ambulance response in our communities.”