Two-thirds of the ambulances assigned to cover the south of the county were stranded outside A&E at Northampton General Hospital on another busy day for the overloaded emergency department, a patient has claimed.

Tom Peterkin, of Hackleton, followed his partner to NGH where she was taken by ambulance after suffering chest pains.

However on arrival, he saw a total of six patients, including his partner, on trolleys with paramedic crews and who could not be handed over to overrun A&E staff.

Mr Peterkin said: “The paramedic told us there were nine ambulances on duty for the Northampton area at the time, so that was two thirds of the available crews unable to go anywhere. They were monitoring us, which was the right thing to do, but it was ridiculous that she was taking up their trolley and equipment so they couldn’t go to another 999 call.

via Northampton Chronicle & Echo.