More than 500 ambulances diverted in 30 days

Rochdale Infirmary

More than 500 emergency ambulances have been diverted since the night time closure of Rochdale Infirmary’s Accident and Emergency Department to ambulances began.

The A&E department is closed to blue light ambulances between 6pm and 8am.

The divert arrangement came into effect on 2 August 2010 following clinical advice due to the shortage of middle grade doctors to fill rotas in Acute Medicine and the Emergency Department which could have put patient safety at risk.

From the 2 August to 1 September, 501 emergency Rochdale ambulances have been diverted – on average 16 per night over the 14 hour period.

Of these, approximately 65 per cent of patients (330) have been taken to the emergency department at Fairfield General Hospital in Bury and 35 per cent (171) to the emergency department at The Royal Oldham Hospital.

During this period, some 52 per cent of patients (261) have been treated and discharged without the need for admission.

Councillor Jean Ashworth, the Chairwoman of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee described the figures as “disgraceful.”

She said: “I really think it is an awful lot of ambulances and people being diverted already and the winter pressure season hasn’t even begun yet.

“It is a high number for a short period of time.”

Average daily attendance prior to 2 August at Rochdale was around 205 and post 2 August around 175 suggesting that there has been a small overall reduction in total attendances.

Dr Anton Sinniah, A&E acute physician and clinical director of unscheduled care for Rochdale Infirmary and Fairfield General Hospital, said: “The number of ambulances being diverted has varied, as predicted, from between 6 and 25 per night. Of these, around 65 per cent of patients are being taken to the emergency department at Fairfield General Hospital and 35 per cent to The Royal Oldham Hospital. Both of these emergency departments, also run by the Trust, have been able to cope with the modest additional numbers.

“Interestingly, over 50 per cent of all presentations have been treated and discharged without the need for admission, suggesting some work we will undertake with North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) to see if a more clinically focused triage might avoid the need for A&E presentation at all. There are small single figure presentations per hour after midnight.

Dr Sinniah added: “The situation continues to remain under constant review in light of ongoing recruitment of the additional doctors required. Our efforts to recruit the doctors required are still ongoing.

“The A&E department will remain open to all other patients who self present. Patients will continue to be seen and treated as normal. If you call for an ambulance you will be taken to the nearest hospital or to the most appropriate specialist centre for appropriate treatment.”

The decision, supported by NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, the local primary care trust, was taken on 8 July 2010.

The Trust has undertaken a communication campaign informing the public of the arrangements including local publicity, press adverting and leaflets distributed to all GPs and libraries across the borough of Rochdale.

The emergency department at Rochdale, remains fully open to non-ambulance attendances and continues to see and treat patients who self present (i.e. walk-in patients) and all maternity cases throughout the night as usual.