When you call for an ambulance for your patient we can respond
in a number of different ways:
Emergency calls
- immediately life-threatening – Category A –
response within 8 minutes
In life-threatening emergencies, people often expect an
ambulance with two people to arrive, but your
patient could also be treated by one of our
single responders who arrive by car,
motorcycle or
bicycle.
All of these vehicles carry the vital life-saving equipment
needed in an emergency. They can get through traffic quicker and
means we can get treatment to your patient more quickly. If a
single responder is sent, a traditional ambulance response will
follow to provide further support and transport for the
patient.
Urgent calls
The majority of GP calls fall into the urgent call category and
the ambulance crew may be one of our
accident and emergency support (A&E Support) staff. They
help keep our paramedics and emergency medical technicians free to
attend the higher categorised emergency calls.
We aim to be with the patient within 15
minutes of the time specified by the GP. Similarly, if your
assessment requires an emergency response, make this clear to the
call operator.