William Oliver
12 Sept 2019 · Coroner Joanne Kearsley · Manchester (North)
This report repeats 1 earlier warning. See the linked reports.
The coroner's concerns
1. unavailable ambulance crews due to mandatory meal break policy
“each crew has to take a 30 minute meal break within their meal break window (this being three hours after their shift starts). If the crews reach the end of their meal break window without having taken a break they are automatically stood down and are unavailable to allocate calls to”
2. ambulance delays at hospitals
“turnaround times at Manchester Royal Infirmary, North Manchester General hospital, Royal Oldham, Salford Royal and Stepping Hill hospita! were all particularly higher than anticipated with numerous ambulances delayed for over one hour”
3. insufficient ambulance allocation
“significant reduction in the number of vehicles able to be allocated during the time Mr [name redacted] had contacted NWAS”
Linked reports
Closely relatedConfidence 0.80 · moderate
Earlier report
“Due to the non-staggering of shift patterns of ambulance crews within Ambulance Service Trusts, there could be increased delays in attending emergency calls due to ambulance staff taking meal breaks at the same time.”
This report
“each crew has to take a 30 minute meal break within their meal break window (this being three hours after their shift starts). If the crews reach the end of their meal break window without having taken a break they are automatically stood down and are unavailable to allocate calls to”
Responses
2019-0494-Response-by-Blackpool-CCG.pdf ↗· Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group
2019-0494-Response-by-Department-of-Health-and-Social-Care.pdf ↗· Department of Health and Social Care
2019-0494-Response-by-North-West-Ambulance-Service.pdf ↗· North West Ambulance Service
Stated action · February 2020
“The roster review has been ongoing since May 2019 and has required consultation with both the Trust's employees and Unions since the changes which the review will effect are significant and will substantially change the operational working arrangements by staggering shift start times and shift lengths. H eadquarters: Ladybridge Hall, 399 Chorley New Road, Bolton, BL1 5DD C hairman: [name redacted] C h i e f E x e c u t i v e : D a r e n M o c h r i e Q A M The roster review allows the Trust to maximise”
2019-0494-Response-by-Stockport-NHS-Trust.pdf ↗· Department of Health and Social Care
Stated action
“The trust uses an electronic patient tracking system in the emergency department which enables the organisation to have a live display of the progress of patients through the department. There is also a screen displaying ambulance arrival times, number of inbound ambulances and ambulance turn around times. Both these screens are monitored by the - departments shift coordinator who directs the workflow accordingly. This information is also available at all times to the hospital control room”