"We've got 150 patients waiting"..."There aren't enough staff, beds or nursing home places": The two sides of Manchester's ambulance queue crisis

The boss of the NHS has written a letter to trusts urging hospitals to take ‘immediate steps’ to reduce ambulance waiting times outside A&E departments to under 30 minutes amid warnings of ‘high risk to patients’ as the weather intensifies. But it’s sparked a heated reaction from paramedics and clinicians desperate to give patients in Greater Manchester the care they need.

It comes amid ongoing reports in the region that the number of 999 callers waiting hours for an ambulance is hitting ‘New Year’s Eve’ levels on a daily basis, while crews are dealing with 21 per cent more urgent and life-threatening calls compared to last month. Patients are also enduring long waits in ambulances outside A&E departments and, as the mercury continues to rise, so does the risk to patients.

Meanwile, it's been reported that nearly 200,000 patients nationwide have come to harm this year because of ambulance delays.

READ MORE: Hospitals brace for overheating after more than 1,000 incidents of high ward temperatures

The letter from Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, acknowledges the problem and suggests ways to speed up the process of handing patients over from paramedics to clinicians to avoid long waits in hot and stuffy ambulances. Mr Powis outlines concerns around ‘increased risk’ to patients waiting for hospital beds in the heat, while oxygen used for long periods in enclosed spaces increases the risk of Covid infection as rates continue to rise.

Not only that, but the heatwave is expected to generate increased demand for ambulances.

Mr Powis, who warns hospital bosses to take ‘immediate steps’ to reduce delays by ‘creating capacity’ in acute hospitals, also urges staff to move patients out of emergency