Introduction of colour-coded 999 call system
Posted: October 2, 2015
Posted in: Medical Negligence
Where meeting targets has been a long-lasting problem for the Welsh Ambulance Service, a new system has been put in place to put the most in-need patients first. The new system has put an end to emergency response time targets, only implementing them in life-threatening cases. A trial of this new system has been put in place for one year to determine whether or not this is a more effective way of dealing with emergency calls.
Instead of the old response-time targets, each individual call will now be graded – an estimated 10% of the 420,000 ambulance emergencies a year will be coded ‘red’ for the most critical. Welsh Ambulance Service chief executive Tracy Myhill said that she thought this change to be a positive step in the right direction. She said that it finally allows for the “sickest patients” to be treated first.
“most progressive in the world”
One of the major reasons for the introduction of this new system was the fact that, with the way the old system operated, it would often be the case that two vehicles would be sent to one case. This inefficiency was not only wasting service funds, but also putting people’s lives at risk.
Despite claims that this new system is a mere “dangerous experiment”, the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust said the new way of working would make it “one of the most progressive in the world.”
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