Dying patients waiting up to 46 minutes for an ambulance in Inverclyde

The 'alarming' new figures, revealed through a Freedom of Information probe, show the crisis facing the service this winter, with union leaders now demanding 'urgent and concerted action' to avoid fatalities.

The response times, described as 'shocking', show that the eight-minute target — set to give people the best chance of survival — is hardly ever met, even in the most critical cases.

Health service campaigner Councillor Martin McCluskey, who is standing for Labour at the next general election, obtained the data.

Councillor McCluskey said: “Like many people, I have had a worrying wait for an ambulance for a loved one in the past.

"Minutes feel like hours and it must be intolerable for those, revealed in these statistics, who have had to wait well beyond the target time.

“For years, patients, staff and their unions have warned about the pressure on ambulance services across Scotland. In Inverclyde, we have heard rumours of long waits but this data lays bare the extent of the pressure that the service is under.

“Purple and red incidents are the very worst cases that the ambulance service has to deal with. The eight minute target is there for a reason — it save lives."

Now union leaders are stepping in to warn that the situation in Inverclyde is perilous.

The data, which covers the period of October 1 2022 to September 30 2023 shows the pressure local ambulance services are under coming into winter.

In July this year a patient in Port Glasgow categorised as purple — the most serious — was kept waiting 46 minutes for life saving assistance.

In more than 50 per cent of these cases patients go into cardiac arrest.

In the same month in the 'red' category, the next most serious, a patient in another area of Inverclyde had to wait 121 minutes.

The data takes in response times in both purple and red categories, with another incident in the purple category also kept waiting for as long as 30 minutes.

In Gourock, a high risk patient — classed in the red category — was left for 47 minutes before an ambulance could attend.

In all but a handful of occasions, the average response time was more than the eight minutes target.

Concerns about the long waits for ambulances in Inverclyde have been growing.

Now the GMB union has stepped in to warn of the pressures local crews are facing.

GMB Scotland organiser Karen Leonard said: “Our members in Inverclyde have been under considerable and sustained pressure over a number of years.

“The pandemic worsened an already difficult situation and every ambulance forced to wait outside a hospital means a patient potentially losing the chance of the most effective response.

“Meanwhile, exhausted crews are working through rest breaks and the end of their shifts to help protect patients.

“The figures uncovered by Martin McCluskey would be worrying at any time, but heading into what will almost certainly be a hugely difficult winter, they are alarming and should prompt urgent and concerted action.

“NHS Scotland must work with the Scottish Ambulance Service to ensure delays are reduced and protect patients and the crews caring for them."

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “Our latest statistics show our median response time for our most serious calls across Greater Glasgow and Clyde is currently 6 minutes 11 seconds. The longer response times regarding purple and red calls relate to where calls have started as a lower call category, for example amber or yellow, and were then subsequently upgraded due to the patient’s condition changing.

“We continue to support our dedicated frontline workforce with 317 new paramedics, technicians and advanced practice practitioners joining the service by the end of March 2024.

"Additional clinicians are also being introduced to our Integrated Clinical Hub which provides alternative routes of treatment for non-emergency patients, freeing up ambulances and reducing pressure on A&Es.”