120 people died EVERY DAY before ambulances arrived last year as 999 delays soar

More than 43,000 people died when an ambulance arrived last year, according to figures.

As delays affect services, the number of patients who died before paramedics reached them has reached an average of 120 per day.

In December alone, 4,324 people were pronounced dead on arrival by ambulance services.

This represents an increase of 19% compared to the same month of the previous year.

A total of 43,758 people were reported dead when an ambulance reached them last year.

Government sources tonight insisted there was no evidence that the deaths, which may have been caused by a number of reasons, were the result of ambulance delays.

>

Ambulance response times in England were the worst on record in December (

Picture:

Getty Images)

The North West recorded 8,450 patients who died on arrival in 2022, more than any other region.

The South East Coast Ambulance Service recorded 1,022 patients who died on arrival in December, up 34% from the previous year.

Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse, who obtained the data through Freedom of Information, said: 'These numbers are truly shocking. Paramedics are working extremely hard to save lives but have been let down by a Conservative government starving the NHS of the resources it needs.

"The consequences are real and deadly. Chronic staff shortages in social services mean we cannot get people out of hospital beds, leaving desperate patients stuck in ambulances waiting in line. Ambulances that are then no longer available to help other patients in need."

Ms Hobhouse called for 'urgent action now' to address staffing shortages in social services, which would reduce pressure on overwhelmed hospitals and ambulance services.

She said: "Liberal Democrats would fix this with a living wage for carers. This would help recruit and retain staff, ensuring adequate capacity in our care system.

"We need urgent action now or we will face crisis after growing crisis."

Paramedics have told the horror of how ambulance delays mean they arrive to find dead patients they are too late to save.