PRIVATE paramedics have been hired at Colchester General Hospital’s Accident and Emergency department in a bid to treat patients more quickly.

Two paramedics have been drafted in by the trust running the hospital to cover peak patient arrival periods from noon to midnight.

Michael Woods, director of service improvement at the hospital trust, said: “We found ourselves in the situation where we were holding up ambulance crews in our corridors because capacity in the department was full, which we recognised put those patients at risk and meant they could not see more patients.

“It is not where we want to be, but just because A&E is full doesn’t mean people stop coming in the front door.

“Over the past few weeks we have managed the process much better and we have had to use them less.”

It means East of England Ambulance Service crews are not forced to wait with patients at A&E and can instead continue to answer 999 calls.

The private paramedics have still had to treat patients while they are on trolleys.

While the trust will have to pay for the two paramedics, it could end up saving money as it faces reduced fines from health commissioners for ambulance handover delays.

Mr Woods added: “There is a financial aspect but there’s a quality of care issue both in our provision to see patients but also in the ambulance teams going to people in the community who have not been seen.”

The pilot has been running for around six weeks.

In April the hospital again missed the national target to see 95 per cent patients within four hours of them arriving at its Accident and Emergency department.

Seventy-three per cent of patients were seen in four hours.