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Healthcare professional information

Information for healthcare professionals about the services London Ambulance Service provides and how we will deal with your call.

Calls for patients who require an ambulance response in a community setting following clinical assessment by a healthcare professional (HCP) are managed according the national framework for healthcare professional ambulance responses.

Please note – the national framework is currently being reviewed and updated by NHS England. We are supporting this by taking part in a proof of concept of updated questions. This may mean the questions you are asked differ from the national framework.

The aim of this framework is to ensure:

  • equity of access for all seriously ill or injured patients
  • recognition that in certain situations, an HCP may require immediate clinical assistance to make a life-saving intervention, in addition to ambulance transportation
  • consistent definitions for high acuity HCP responses are established and are mapped to Ambulance Response Programme (ARP) response priorities Category 1 and Category 2

Your call will be answered by a 999 Emergency Call Handler. You may also speak to a clinician. A clinician responsible for the patient’s care must be immediately available to discuss the patient’s needs.

Here you will find information about the services we provide and how we will deal with your call.

Frequently answered questions

  • The London Ambulance Service will always aim to respond with nationally defined response time targets. However when it is unlikely we will be able to do this we will give you an expected response time. If an ambulance isn’t available to respond a clinician will review the details provided on the call to ensure the call is appropriately prioritised against other emergency calls in the area. In some cases this may require us calling you back to gain more detailed information.

  • To discuss the individual clinical needs of the patient or discuss clinical risks request to speak to a clinician. If a clinician is not immediately available the Emergency Call Handler will arrange for a clinician to call back. Please provide a direct dial number (not a switchboard number).

  • Emergency Call Handlers are specifically trained to ask callers to repeat information to make sure it has been taken correctly. This is especially important for calls from healthcare practitioners as it common for calls to route through switchboards/reception which prevent verifying information by other means. Expect the call to last around 5 minutes. Please answer all questions even if they don’t seem relevant as otherwise it can slow the process.

  • Wherever possible the responsibility for calling for an ambulance should not be delegated. Experience has shown that a clear transfer of information is needed, including information like the onset time of symptoms if a stroke is suspected and whether the patient is unable to get up from the floor. You may also be asked to discuss the individual clinical needs of the patient with a clinician to determine the appropriate response.

  • Our emergency ambulance staff – which include paramedics, advanced paramedics, emergency medical technicians and trainee emergency ambulance crew. These clinicians provide blue light response and conduct assessments and treatments for seriously ill patients.

    Our non-emergency transport teams provide basic care including oxygen and Entonox. These crews work in pairs and have a full range of manual handling equipment. Our non-emergency transport team is likely to be the most appropriate response for your palliative care or mental health patients.

    For life threatening calls, multiple resources will be sent to your patient. These may include community volunteers who are trained in basic life support and are equipped with defibrillators.

    Find out about the different clinicians and vehicles we send to treat your patients.

  • An emergency ambulance will attend all critical and emergency calls in order to provide immediate management. Non-Emergency Transport may attend urgent and less urgent calls. As these patients do not require immediate life, limb or sight saving interventions, further assessment and treatment can be undertaken on arrival at hospital. Non-emergency transport can provide pain relief, oxygen and assistance getting to the ambulance.

  • It is the responsibility of the referring Trust to ensure that the patient is accompanied by appropriate Healthcare Professionals who are able to undertake any treatment needed during the journey. This may require a discussion with the attending crew to understand what is within their scope of practice.

  • Patient Transport Services are commissioned to undertake routine transfers. These cannot be organised through the LAS as these services are locally commissioned by your Trust. Please speak to your bed or site manager for advice.

    Some patients may also be suitable for specialist services like the Adult Critical Care Emergency Support Service (ACCESS) or paediatric transfer services (e.g. CATS/STRS/NTS). These services should be contacted directly to arrange the transfer.

  • If you would like to share feedback, you can do so via our Share Your Feedback webpage, which covers compliments, comments, complaints and our 999 survey for patients.

    Please direct your patients to the 999 survey if they would like to share feedback about our 999 service in London.

  • If you are a healthcare professional or external partner and have concerns about care provided by our Service, please contact the Quality Alert team.

    Email the Quality Alert team

    If you are a healthcare professional and would like to collaborate on a learning response, please contact our Patient Safety team.

    Email the Patient Safety team

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