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Ambulance pressure: How are 999 calls categorised? | Ambulance pressure: How are 999 calls categorised? |
(35 minutes later) | |
The ambulance services use a confusing array of terms to describe the calls they handle. | The ambulance services use a confusing array of terms to describe the calls they handle. |
Depending on whether you are in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales or England, you will find different bandings being used. | Depending on whether you are in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales or England, you will find different bandings being used. |
But what does each mean and how many calls fall into each category? | But what does each mean and how many calls fall into each category? |
The traditional category A model | The traditional category A model |
This was how ambulance services across the UK described emergency calls for decades. It is still used in Northern Ireland and, until last week, was in place in Scotland. | This was how ambulance services across the UK described emergency calls for decades. It is still used in Northern Ireland and, until last week, was in place in Scotland. |
It encompasses a wide range of calls, which could be said to be potentially life-threatening. | It encompasses a wide range of calls, which could be said to be potentially life-threatening. |
It includes conditions such as cardiac arrest and when a person has no pulse or is not breathing, all the way through to strokes, seizures and road traffic accidents. | It includes conditions such as cardiac arrest and when a person has no pulse or is not breathing, all the way through to strokes, seizures and road traffic accidents. |
About a third of calls in Northern Ireland fall into this category, which is subject to the eight-minute target. | About a third of calls in Northern Ireland fall into this category, which is subject to the eight-minute target. |
The rest of the calls in this system are designated category B (serious but not life-threatening) which includes conditions such as fractures or category C (not serious) that are more likely to lead to a referral to another service or telephone advice being given rather than a face-to-face response. | The rest of the calls in this system are designated category B (serious but not life-threatening) which includes conditions such as fractures or category C (not serious) that are more likely to lead to a referral to another service or telephone advice being given rather than a face-to-face response. |
Red, amber, green - the Welsh model | Red, amber, green - the Welsh model |
The Welsh ambulance service changed the way it started categorising calls in October 2015. Up to that point it was also using category A. | The Welsh ambulance service changed the way it started categorising calls in October 2015. Up to that point it was also using category A. |
But it changed to a red, amber, green system. Red is the smallest group and includes conditions that are the most immediately life-threatening, such as cardiac arrest. These account for only one in 20 calls in Wales. This band is subject to the eight-minute target. | |
Amber includes life-threatening and serious calls, such as strokes and chest pains. These would have traditionally fallen into the old category A band. It also includes some of the conditions that would have been in the top end of category B, such as fractures. It is not subject to the eight-minute target. | Amber includes life-threatening and serious calls, such as strokes and chest pains. These would have traditionally fallen into the old category A band. It also includes some of the conditions that would have been in the top end of category B, such as fractures. It is not subject to the eight-minute target. |
Green are non-serious calls that are unlikely to need an ambulance response and instead can be dealt with by other health service or by the individual themselves. | Green are non-serious calls that are unlikely to need an ambulance response and instead can be dealt with by other health service or by the individual themselves. |
Scotland has just introduced a similar system to this one. | Scotland has just introduced a similar system to this one. |
Red 1 and 2 | Red 1 and 2 |
England was the first UK nation to move away from the category A model. It split the group into red 1 and red 2 in 2012. | |
Red 1 was a small band, incorporating cardiac arrests and other life-or-death conditions. It accounts for only 2% of calls and is subject to the eight-minute target. | Red 1 was a small band, incorporating cardiac arrests and other life-or-death conditions. It accounts for only 2% of calls and is subject to the eight-minute target. |
Red 2 encompasses other serious and life-threatening cases, such as strokes and seizures. It accounts for 30% of calls and is subject to the eight-minute target. But unlike Red 1 calls, control rooms are allowed some time to assess these cases before the clock starts. It was one minute, but has just been increased to four. | Red 2 encompasses other serious and life-threatening cases, such as strokes and seizures. It accounts for 30% of calls and is subject to the eight-minute target. But unlike Red 1 calls, control rooms are allowed some time to assess these cases before the clock starts. It was one minute, but has just been increased to four. |
The rest of the calls that require a response by the ambulance service are classed as green. There are no national targets to reach these, instead standards are set locally. A goal of 60 minutes is commonly used. | The rest of the calls that require a response by the ambulance service are classed as green. There are no national targets to reach these, instead standards are set locally. A goal of 60 minutes is commonly used. |
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