A NEW ambulance response programme has been introduced in Jersey in a bid to improve patient care and allow the service to deal with higher demand.
The government said the model – which follows the same programme as in the UK but is adapted to suit the Island’s needs – used a set pre-determined questions designed to measure the seriousness of the incident, allowing call handlers to better assess the severity of the situation and ensure appropriate response times.
The government said this would allow the service to dispatch a faster medical response to life threatening conditions, particularly cardiac arrest.
It is also designed with the aim of call handlers having more time to assess 999 calls that are not believed to be immediately life-threatening, allowing them to identify patients’ needs better and send the most appropriate response first time.
Each call received is broken into four categories:
1 – Life threatening injuries such as a cardiac arrest
2 – Emergency calls such as burns, epilepsy and strokes
3 – Urgent calls such as late stages of labour or diabetes
4 – Less urgent calls such as diahorrea or vomiting
The programme was introduced in England in 2017 following the largest clinical ambulance trials in the world and was implemented to ensure the sickest patients get the fastest response.
It also aims to reduce the diversion of recourses and assist in the reduction of missed rest periods for staff.
