34% of Covid patients conveyed by Ambulance were not admitted to Kent Hospitals
Updated 29/01/21 @11:50am
The number of Covid-19 patients conveyed to the four Kent Acute NHS Trusts by South East Coast Ambulance between 1 Jan and 30 Nov was 7,362. The number of Covid-19 patients admitted onto a ward was 4,860. This means 33.99% of patients who attended a Kent Acute NHS Trust A & E by ambulance, were not admitted onto a ward.
Not all Covid-19 patients conveyed to hospital by ambulance are admitted [onto a ward] – some are treated or examined then discharged from the emergency department, as with all conditions, hence the reason for not being included in the hospital admission figures, according to spokespersons from EKHUFT and Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
It is not known how many people who attended a Kent A & E by Ambulance, re-attended at a later date. The reason being is it would be a case of looking at every single patient’s record to check said an EKHUFT spokesperson. This implies that EKHUFT and perhaps other trusts do not yet have a fully functional electronic patient system in operation. If EKHUFT’s were operational, obviously records could be checked simply. Nor is it known how many of those 2,502 patients not admitted onto a ward may have died elsewhere.
The two other Trusts Dartford & Gravesham and Medway have been asked for comment, but at the time of publication no response had been received. We will publish any response we receive from them.
The Shepway Vox Team
Journalism for the people NOT the powerful
Not at all surprising. EKHUFT managed to lose my mother for a few hours – she was admitted to WHH but they couldn’t tell me she had been transferred to K&C, rather they thought she was back home. Mildly amusing now but worrying at the time
My Dad who was 77, was one of those not admitted to the William Harvey Hospital after A & E decided his Covid symptoms were deemed not life threatening enough. Three days later he was dead. My Mum is understandably devastated. If I complain it’ll go nowhere I suspect. All to often the Trust are not held responsible for their actions. How many more decisions made by A & E staff were wrong? We have a right to know.
@ Ian sorry to hear that. We had a very similar experience at the D & G Trust. Mum was 71 and her Covid symptoms were not deemed life threatening enough by A &E staff. They overlooked that she’d had asthma since she was a child. She died at home and I discovered her as part of her bubble. Devastated, angry and firmly of the belief that to many cock-ups happen in the NHS.
Yep same here, my Mum (76) passed away at home due to not being admitted onto a ward at EKHUFT. Staff in A & E said she was well enough to go home as her symptoms were not that serious, even though she had COPD. Doubt anybody at the Trust will take responsibility or apologise