As well as crews who work together on an ambulance, we have
staff who work on their own. These are known as single
responders.
They are able to treat patients without the help of an ambulance
crew, or are sent to a patient ahead of an ambulance. They will
go to patients by car, motorcycle or bicycle. All of these vehicles carry the vital
life-saving equipment needed in an emergency.
In life-threatening emergencies we will send a single responder
and an ambulance crew to treat the patient. In these situations
every second counts, and a single responder can get through
the traffic faster than a large ambulance which means we can get
treatment to a patient more quickly.
However, our single responders have been fully trained to work
on their own. They are emergency medical technicians or paramedics
who have the skills to assess patients to see whether they
definitely need treatment by an ambulance crew.
In some parts of London we are supported in our work by
ambulance community responders, who work for us
on a voluntary basis. These are members of the public who have had
emergency life-support training, and they respond alongside
our staff to life-threatening 999 calls.
We plan to increase the number of single responders to ensure that
we are able to retain crewed ambulances for those patients who need
them.
Where do single responders operate?
We have single responders in cars
operating all across the capital.
We currently have motorcycle responders in central London,
Hackney, Tower Hamlets and the City of London.
Cycle responders operate in busy locations,
especially where there are large pedestrian areas. Currently, they
are in Canary Wharf, Croydon, Kensington, St Pancras Station and
Heathrow Airport.