This shocking image shows a line of at least 10 ambulances queued up outside a hospital, with one campaigner warning 'this is a crisis'.
The image was taken at Royal Stoke University Hospital, in Hartshill, Staffordshire, on Wednesday - when witnesses claim there were at least 20 ambulances parked outside.
Health bosses have admitted that emergency departments across the area are under 'very significant pressure', StokeonTrentLive reports.
Local health campaigner Ian Syme said it was 'unacceptable' that so many ambulances were stacking up outside Royal Stoke University Hospital.
The North Staffordshire Healthwatch leader said: "The whole of the NHS and the whole of the care system are under extreme pressure. This is a crisis.
"The fact of the matter is hospitals are taking huge amounts of ambulance deliveries, but the hospital is actually full at this moment in time."
StokeonTrentLive previously reported how the ambulances were stacked up at a time when many NHS staff are being forced to self-isolate due to coronavirus.
Now leaders at the University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) NHS Trust - which runs the Royal Stoke and Stafford's County Hospital - say staff are working 'around the clock' as emergency departments come under increasing pressure.
Meanwhile West Midlands Ambulance Service says all patients continue to receive clinical care while they wait to be put in the care of hospital staff.
UHNM has previously been forced to suspend non-emergency operations due to staff absences brought on by Covid-19, increased patient numbers, and a high demand for urgent and emergency services.
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Responding to last night's scenes outside the Royal Stoke, Paul Bytheway, UHNM chief operating officer, says patients arriving by ambulance who face a wait are 'kept as safe as possible'.
He said: "For some weeks our emergency departments have been under very significant pressure with large numbers of patients attending either by foot or by ambulance.
"Our staff are working very hard, around the clock, to care for our patients which, when combined with the challenges of infection prevention measures for Covid-19, has led to difficulties in delivering consistently timely care for our patients.
"We would never want our patients to wait unnecessarily and we do have processes in place to ensure those patients who arrive by ambulance and unfortunately have to wait to be admitted are kept as safe as possible.
"We are working with our NHS and local authority partners to put in place measures to ensure that people who need hospital and emergency care can get treatment quickly and those who are ready to return home can with the correct care provided."
Mr Bytheway says the public also have a key role during the coming weeks and busy winter period by using NHS 111 for non-emergencies.
He told StokeonTrentLive: "By seeking treatment and advice elsewhere when it’s not a life-threatening illness or injury, patients could spend less time waiting for appropriate treatment and advice and can help reduce waiting times for patients needing the most urgent care."
Dr Steve Fawcett, GP and medical director for NHS Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Group, has reiterated the need for people to utilise NHS 111.
He said: "All NHS services are busy at the moment and we'd like to thank people for working with us as we provide the care they need.
"You can help us help you by getting help in the most appropriate place, whatever your condition. 111.nhs.uk is a really helpful tool to assist you to do this and you can access it from a smartphone. NHS 111 will also direct you to the most appropriate local service for your need.
"It's important to remember that Covid-19 is still with us and I'd ask anyone who hasn't yet to get vaccinated. Also, those eligible for the free flu vaccine can also get this from their GP or local community pharmacy."
A spokesperson for the ambulance service said: "We are working with all local NHS partners to reduce delays so crews can respond to the next incident as quickly as possible. All patients continue to receive clinical care until they are handed over to hospital staff."
