PATIENTS have been left waiting in the back of ambulances outside the Great Western Hospital because there have been no spare beds for them.

Paul Gates, director of operations at Wiltshire Ambulance Trust, said it placed the hospital on Red Alert yesterday afternoon because of the problems with admitting patients.

The GWH acknowledged that staff were under the cosh but stressed patients were not put at risk.

Mr Gates blamed the crisis on additional "winter pressures".

He said the Royal United Hospital in Bath and Salisbury General Infirmary were also stretched.

"We worked with each one to help relieve pressures but I want to make clear that patients were not at risk.

"Neither was anyone turned away from any hospital.

"Winter is traditionally the busiest time of the year for NHS services because more people are ill."

The NHS target time for off-loading patients from ambulances onto hospital wards is 20 minutes.

Mr Gates could not say how long patients were left waiting but said crews encountered problems meeting this target.

"We are being challenged in meeting these targets today," he said yesterday.

Chris Birdsall, spokes-man for Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust which runs the Great Western Hospital, said contingency plans were put in place.

"We have been extremely busy and bed space has been very tight," he said.

"We have called in extra staff but we're coping very well and we are on top of the situation, although it changes by the hour.

"It seems that hospitals across the patch have been incredibly busy and there is no apparent reason for it other than more people were coming in than were going out.

"In accordance with our escalation plan, patients are being treated in our day care unit. All staff are doing an absolutely magnificent job."

This is the latest problem to hit the ambulance service. Last week we revealed how hygiene levels onboard the county's ambulances are not up to scratch.

Mr Gates admitted that deep cleaning necessary to completely rid a wagon of all germs is done on a "very haphazard" basis.

He promised that specialist cleaners would be called in to sort the problem when cash is available in April.

Kevin Shoesmith