UK West Midlands region sees 37 deaths this year due to ambulance delays

By Mehmet Solmaz

BIRMINGHAM, England (AA) - A total of 37 people have died after lengthy ambulance waiting times in the first nine months of 2022, compared to only one patient dying in 2020, which saw hundreds of fatalities due to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to information provided to the BBC by the West Midlands Ambulance Service, the longest an ambulance had to wait to hand over a patient to a hospital was 21 hours. Various hospitals in the region also recorded waiting times of up to 15 and 19 hours.

Sharon Graham, the secretary general of Unite – one of the largest trade unions – said their voices are not being heard and accused the government of “criminal negligence.” The union says the government had months to intervene to end the dispute and prevent the strike.

“The shocking statistics from West Midlands Ambulance Trust tell the real story. Where were the government’s ‘well-rehearsed contingency plans’ when people were dying in the West Midlands because the crisis in the ambulance service meant an ambulance couldn’t get to them on time?” Graham asked, adding that the strikers are “actually trying to save the service.”

The Department of Health in England previously stated that it is taking urgent measures to support the ambulance service, including offering an extra £500 million ($605 million) to speed up hospital discharge and free up beds.

The news comes as an ambulance strike is being held Wednesday, with Health Secretary Steve Barclay charging: "Ambulance unions have made a conscious choice to inflict harm on patients."