Plan to downgrade emergency ambulance calls to reduce delays

In an attempt to cut response times, some emergency calls are to be downgraded by ambulance trusts.

 

London and West Midlands Ambulance Services will take part in the trial, which will see category two calls, such as heart attacks, strokes, sepsis and burns, reassessed to see how quickly paramedics should respond.

 

The move is expected to affect around 40 per cent of category two 999 calls which should be responded to within 40 minutes, the NHS said.

 

There are a total of four categories of emergency calls, with one being people with life-threatening injuries or illnesses and four covering non-urgent cases which require transportation to a clinic or hospital ward.

 

A spokesperson for the NHS said “This trial, supported by clinicians, will start in two areas of the country with the aim of speeding up ambulance response times for the sickest patients who need care and treatment most quickly – in a similar way to how category three and four calls currently work.

 

“The proposal being tested will see a clinician call and assess those patients who could be treated through other services, such as a community response.”

 

West Midlands Ambulance Service recently admitted long handover delays had been at “catastrophic” levels for 12 months and showing no signs of improving, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

 

Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events.  Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.

 

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

 

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