First reported 24 Oct 2022•Latest report 13 Jun 2025
Definition
What this concern includes
Includes failures of cross-system planning, leadership response, demand-pressure planning, winter-pressure planning and longer-term solution development when explicitly connected to ambulance attendance or hospital handover delays and their patient-safety consequences.
Not included
Excludes the ambulance delays, handover delays or capacity shortfalls themselves when no separate planning or system-leadership deficiency is identified.
Excludes generic workforce, funding or service-capacity deficiencies unless the report explicitly identifies inadequate coordinated planning or leadership in response to ambulance-delay pressures.
Excludes operational ambulance dispatch, call handling and hospital handover-process failures that do not concern system-level planning or leadership response.
Excludes generic organisational planning concerns unrelated to ambulance-delay pressures.
Reports
2
Distinct published reports
Individual concerns
4
A report can raise multiple concerns
Date range
2022–2025
First to latest report issue date
Stated actions
6
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Betsi Cadwaladr University LHB1
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust1
Welsh Government1
Devolved government1
Local health board1
NHS trust1
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
South Wales Central
Concerns raised3
Failure to align ambulance rostering assumptions with hospital handover performance
Inadequate health and social care system leadership response to ambulance handover pressures
Insufficient escalation of ambulance handover delays across health boards
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
Action
Establish a National Handover-45 Taskforce to support system-wide ambulance handover improvements.
Stated by Welsh GovernmentStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 30 June 2025.
Action
Run 30-, 60- and 90-day rapid improvement events with health-board and operational leaders.
Stated by Welsh GovernmentStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 30 June 2025.
Action
Seek urgent assurance from each health board on actions supporting handover-guidance compliance and reduced delays.
Stated by Welsh GovernmentStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 30 June 2025.
Action
Follow up health-board progress through Integrated Quality Planning and Delivery meetings.
Stated by Welsh GovernmentStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 30 June 2025.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
Position
Welsh Ministers set strategic expectations but do not deliver health services; health boards and NHS trusts deliver services within the national policy framework.
Stated by Welsh GovernmentRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Position
WAST is responsible for managing and delivering emergency ambulance services, while the JCC plans, secures and commissions them.
Stated by Welsh GovernmentRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Position
Health boards are responsible for ensuring ambulance handovers occur reliably, in clinical priority order and within 15 minutes.
Stated by Welsh GovernmentRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
North West Wales
Concerns raised1
Failure to implement an ambulance handover plan to reduce lost hours and improve ambulance availability
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
Action
Share the local Ysbyty Gwynedd ambulance handover plan and related emergency department and hospital protocols across Health Board sites for local adoption.
Stated by Betsi Cadwaladr University LHBStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 25 October 2022.
Action
Maintain the Handover Improvement Plan with BCU Health Board and NCCU, using integrated commissioning action plans and fortnightly meetings to improve system flow and ambulance availability.
Stated by Welsh Ambulance Services NHS TrustStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 25 October 2022.
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Includes failures of cross-system planning, leadership response, demand-pressure planning, winter-pressure planning and longer-term solution development when explicitly connected to ambulance attendance or hospital handover delays and their patient-safety consequences.
