Patients wait too long in ambulances before transfer to emergency department, study finds

Some patients spend too long with ambulance crews before being handed over to emergency department staff, and others experience delays in being seen by a doctor or nurse in the department, a survey of nearly 40 000 users has found.

The 2014 survey of emergency departments in England1 found some improvements in how patients rated their experiences. For example, 77% said that staff “definitely” listened to them, up from 75% in 2012; 75% “definitely” had confidence and trust in doctors and nurses, up from 73%; and 44% said that staff fully informed them about danger signals to watch …