Hospital bosses say 'not acceptable' after Boxing Day chaos which saw 'up to 15' ambulances stuck outside A&E

A hospital has issued an urgent plea to the public after Boxing Day saw scenes of total chaos outside the A&E, according to one paramedic.

Bosses at Bolton Royal Hospital said 'the amount of time some people have to wait for care is not acceptable' after images showed queues of ambulances with ill patients on board waiting outside the hospital.

The paramedic told the Manchester Evening News they hadn't seen anything like it since the coronavirus pandemic - and said 'up to 15 ambulances' were waiting outside the Royal Bolton Hospital at one point during the day. Meanwhile one mum who took her son to the emergency department at the hospital said they were advised to ring for a taxi rather than for an ambulance after they called the 111 service.

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The hospital's A&E department was said to be 'very busy' on Boxing Day with waiting times of up to four hours. Today, December 27, the hospital says it continues to be 'very busy', urging people to use their GP, pharmacy or NHS 111 if their condition isn't life or limb-threatening.

Rae Wheatcroft, Chief Operating Officer at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We continue to be very busy and our staff are working extremely hard to ensure all of our patients get the care they need safely, effectively and as quickly as possible. We will always see those who need our help most urgently first.

“However it is clear that the amount of time some people have to wait for care is not acceptable, so we continue to do everything we can to get people home safely, get people who need care into a suitable bed as soon as possible, and