Ambulance handover times spike as winter bites across the South West
A Met Office yellow warning for ice remains in force
As the winter continues to bite, the winter pressures continue to deepen - as the South Western Ambulance Service remain under significant strain.
The number of people in hospital with flu in England continues to rise, with staff reporting they are under the same pressure as at the height of the Covid pandemic, the NHS medical director has said.
Data from NHS England shows there were an average of 5,408 flu patients in beds in England each day last week, including 256 in critical care.
The proportion of ambulance patients waiting at hospitals in England last week for more than 30 minutes to be handed to A&E teams, broken down by NHS trust, shows many Trusts in our part of the world continuing to struggle.
The figures have been compiled by the PA news agency from data published by NHS England.
These include:
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals - 82.6% of handovers were longer than 30 minutes
- Great Western Hospitals - 79.4% of handovers were longer than 30 minutes
- Royal United Hospitals Bath - 78.4% of handovers were longer than 30 minutes
- University Hospitals Plymouth - 76.6% of handovers were longer than 30 minutes
- Gloucestershire Hospitals - 67.4% of handovers were longer than 30 minutes
- North Bristol - 63.1% of handovers were longer than 30 minutes
- Somerset - 61.4% of handovers were longer than 30 minutes
- University Hospitals Bristol & Weston - 55% of handovers were longer than 30 minutes
Read more: Critical incidents declared in Somerset hospitals
This all comes as temperatures will continue to fall over the coming days.
Weather warnings for ice are in place across the majority of Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as large parts of the east of England, until 10am on Friday.
Wednesday's lowest overnight temperature was minus 12.4C in Inverness-shire and the Met Office has forecast that lower valleys in Scotland could reach between minus 12C and minus 16C on Thursday night.
Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslick said: "It's going to be another cold couple of days, and recovering into the early part of next week.
"Anywhere across the UK is likely to see those temperatures dipping below freezing and likely to see quite severe frost and ice to form overnight tonight."
Devon and Cornwall could turn cloudy with some outbreaks of rain as a front moves towards the south-west, and Dartmoor and Exmoor are likely to see snow.
Snow and winds have so far brought travel disruption, with rail lines forced to close.
Manchester Airport closed both its runways on Thursday morning "due to significant levels of snow" but they were later reopened.
Transport for Wales closed some rail lines in the country due to track damage following a period of "heavy wind, rain and snow".
A small number of schools in Somerset were shut on Thursday.
As icy conditions persist, motorists are being urged to stick to major roads that are most likely to have been gritted.
Car insurer - the Bristol-based RAC - said it has seen the highest levels of demand for rescues in a three-day period since December 2022.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended its cold weather health alert for all of England until Sunday.
Amber alerts have been extended and will now run until January 12, meaning a rise in deaths is likely, the agency said.
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