Fines over patients waiting in ambulances outside New Cross Hospital rise to £261k
Fines over patients left waiting in ambulances outside New Cross Hospital have risen to £261,200 in five months as bosses label the penalties a 'waste of money'.
The latest £66,200 fine comes after 37 emergency patients waited in ambulances for more than an hour to enter the hospital in February.
Chief executive of The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust David Loughton said the fines simply demotivate staff.
The latest figures from The Royal Wolverhampton Trust show 146 patients waited between 30 and 60 minutes before entering the hospital – costing the trust £200 per patient – and 37 patients waiting more than an hour for an ambulance – at a rate of £1,000 per person.
National guidelines state patients should be handed over from the care of paramedics to hospital staff in under 15 minutes.
The figures were revealed at a meeting of the trust yesterday.
Chief executive of the trust David Loughton said after the meeting: "These fines are a waste of public money.
"We are one of the better trusts for ambulance waiting times and fare well against others.
"But these fines do nothing to motivate our clinical staff.
"About 80 per cent of those patients waiting are seen and treated and back home within four hours.
"This is just a waste of public money with accountants being paid to fine staff out there treating patients.
"We make predictions every month on what we think we are likely to be fined so that it does not impact on services.
"Whether that be anything from meeting the targets of flu vaccinations to ambulance waiting times."
In January, the Trust was fined £85,200 for 221 patients waiting between 30 and 60 minutes and 41 patients longer than an hour.
Health chiefs pointed out in January, there were 54 more ambulances taking people to hospital than the same period in the previous year.
In December 2016, the trust was fined £38,000 on the basis of 105 people waiting between 30 and 60 minutes, with 17 waiting more than an hour.
However, there was 159 more ambulances taking people to hospital that month than the same time the previous year.
In November 2016, the fine was £10,000 based on 30 patients waiting between half an hour and 60 minutes and four waiting more than an hour.
In October 2016, the trust was fined £61,800. This time, 44 patients were waiting between 30 and 60 minutes and 53 more than an hour.
