Responding to the publication today (Thursday) of NHS England data on ambulance handover delays, UNISON acting head of health Helga Pile said:
“Ambulance handover delays are a critical sign the NHS is struggling to cope with unbearable demand.
“The pressure is on all year round especially in the winter and government inaction is to blame.
“Ministers need to wake up and start fixing the problems in the NHS. Top of that list must be solving the staffing crisis.
“Services are stretched to breaking point because there are too few staff. Highly skilled employees have had enough and are leaving for better-paid, less stressful work elsewhere.
“If the government carries on burying its head in the sand, nothing will improve and patients continue to suffer.”
