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The Ambulance Service has urged the public to “consider alternative and appropriate care where possible” to ensure that 999 is available for emergency calls following multiple incidents of high patient numbers.
Express is aware of at least three instances in the last five weeks when the Ambulance Service reached capacity, with all staff attending calls or waiting to handover at the Hospital's Emergency Department.
Claire Thompson, Chief Operating Officer of Acute Services, said that the Emergency Department experienced "high volumes of patients" on Monday 17 June and Tuesday 18 June.
She explained: “On Monday evening, there were some waits for ambulance crews who were transferring patients into the Emergency Department.
“However, HCS worked closely with the Ambulance Service to mitigate these delays and paramedic crews were released as soon as possible.
“Although the Emergency Department was busy, all patients that needed to be admitted to hospital were admitted.”
Pictured: "This will support us in ensuring that 999 is available for emergency and life threatening calls.”
Gordon Hunt from the States of Jersey Ambulance Service added: “Occasionally, we see an increase in required responses.
“This can result in delay and lead to challenges for our colleagues within HCS, as they work hard to manage each patient based on their needs.
“We continue to work closely with the Emergency Department and wider hospital to ensure services are available to all, when they need them.”
Mr Hunt reminded islanders to "consider alternative and appropriate care where possible, either through their GP, local pharmacists, or self-care".
“This will support us in ensuring that 999 is available for emergency and life threatening calls,” he said.
Pictured: The Ambulance Service also reached capacity on 28 May 2024 with all staff attending calls or waiting to handover at the Hospital's Emergency Department.
Less than a month prior, a "surge in demand" left the island with no available ambulance crew for two hours.
At the time, the States of Jersey Ambulance Service said it was "working with partners in HCS to help improve ambulance turnaround times at the Emergency Department".
It comes shortly after a report presented to the Health Advisory Board during its most recent meeting revealed that the number of patients waiting for over 12 hours in the the Emergency Department has increased.
In April, around 4% of all Emergency Department patients – 131 out of 3,554 attendances – had to wait over 12 hours before being admitted or discharged.
Only 74.6% of patients seen within the four-hour target timeframe in April – down from 77% in March, despite attendance numbers being similar.
Pictured: The percentage of patients waiting in the Emergency Department for more than 12 hours has been increasing since the start of 2024.
Health officials say they are working to improve patient flow by expanding bed capacity, reducing the length of stays, and streamlining admissions to "enable quicker movement" through the Emergency Department .
The report said the primary cause of lengthy waits is difficulty moving patients out of the Emergency Department and into appropriate inpatient beds.
Increase in Emergency Department patients waiting over 12 hours
No available ambulance crew for two hours following "surge in demand"
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