The way in which we categorise emergency calls changed in 2017, in line with new standards introduced across the country.
This system of responding to patients was introduced by NHS England following the largest clinical ambulance trials in the world.
Known as the Ambulance Response Programme, the changes aim to help all ambulance services reach the sickest patients more quickly, and end ‘hidden waits’ for lower category patients.
What this system means for our patients
For calls that aren’t immediately life-threatening, call handlers have more time to understand the patient’s condition before sending an appropriate response or referring them to an alternative healthcare setting.
Stroke and heart attack patients benefit because this enables us to send an ambulance crew that can treat them and take them to a specialist centre for further care, rather than a single responder who can begin treatment quickly but can’t transport them.
We are expected to reach the most seriously ill patients (Category 1) in an average time of seven minutes. The clock only stops when the most appropriate response arrives on scene, rather than the first.
This frees up more vehicles and staff to respond to other emergencies.
