A HOSPITAL trust chief has admitted demand is “exceptionally high” after patients raised concerns about queuing ambulances, heaving corridors and a packed A&E at Worcestershire Royal.

The long delays at the city hospital on Tuesday evening (January 15) came after Redditch MP Rachel Mclean’s letter this week to new minister for health and social care Stephen Hammond about the “unacceptable” conditions at Worcestershire’s hospitals.

Matthew Hopkins, chief executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (WHAT), said staff across the trust are “working hard to provide the safest care they can for patients in the face of continuing pressures on beds”.

“Despite our best efforts, this does mean that some patients have to wait longer than we would wish to be admitted to a bed,” he said.

The trust chief went on to say reassure patients that WAHT is continuing to work closely with its partners across the health care system to manage winter pressures.

He said: “Additional bed capacity at Worcester Royal Hospital (WRH) and the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch will be in place in the coming days and weeks.”

Mr Hopkins added that Avon 5 – a new 28-bed ward at the Worcester hospital – opened yesterday (January 16).

“We would appeal to local people to play their part by following advice on using health services wisely,” he said.

In her letter to Mr Hammond, who was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Care in November, Mrs Maclean said ambulance transfer delays are a particular issue for WRH.

“This is causing worrying problems at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch and I believe it can be better managed by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust,” she said.

She went on to say that, 28 per cent of the 4,339 ambulances which arrived at hospitals in Worcester, Redditch and Kidderminster, in December, were stuck outside for over half an hour.

“Indeed, there were 265 times when these waits exceeded an hour and 943 times when they lasted between 30 and 60 minutes,” she added.

“This is unacceptable.”

The Conservative MP, who assumed office in June 2017, following a snap general election, said: “I know that [the trust] are seeing increased demand and investing in services, but I also understand that WRH is not following nationally recognised triaging guidelines.”

She said, following meetings with the CCG, she understands the issue is resulting in the problems seen at the Worcester hospital and, to a lesser extent, at the Alex.

“It is a matter of urgency and I took forward to meeting with you in the near future,” she added.