South London NHS ambulance handover delays

South London: The latest NHS England data shows that ambulance handover delays are a real issue. But hey, some hospitals in South London are actually doing a bit better than the national average.

Last week, 42.2% of ambulance patients across England waited over 30 minutes to be handed over to A&E teams. That’s the highest it’s been this winter!

Looking at the numbers for the week ending January 5, 2025, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust had the highest delays, with 40.5% of its 1,284 handovers taking longer than 30 minutes.

On the flip side, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust had the lowest delay rate at 22.1% for its 606 handovers. So, there’s quite a difference in how these trusts are managing.

Even though South London hospitals are facing challenges, they’re still performing better than the national average. It’s a mixed bag, but at least some are keeping it together.

Nationally, 21.3% of ambulance handovers were delayed by more than an hour last week, which is a jump from 12.9% the week before. That’s a lot of waiting around!

These delays are happening as flu cases are on the rise. Last week, hospitals had an average of 5,408 flu patients daily, a big jump from just 1,098 on December 1.

With 256 of those patients needing critical care, it’s putting even more pressure on NHS resources. Professor Sir Stephen Powis from NHS England said hospitals are under a lot of stress right now, especially with the cold weather and flu season hitting hard.

He praised NHS staff for their hard work and dedication, saying they’re doing an amazing job despite the challenges. It’s tough out there, and some staff feel like they’re back in the thick of the pandemic.