Improving the quality of the ambulance response: focusing on clinical outcomes

In January 2016 Professor Jonathan Benger National Clinical Director for Urgent Care NHS England discussed the way forward for the ambulance service including a new way of working moving away from the 8 minute response target; ““We need to get the right resource to the right patients – an appropriate vehicle with a skilled paramedic to the patients that need it in a timely manner” 

“Of particular importance is the need to ensure that the ways in which ambulance services are managed and measured reflect the needs of a 21st century population, and are focused on clinical priorities, rather than response times alone.” 

“We have a tendency to send ambulances to patients when we don’t actually know if they need an ambulance or not – we also send multiple vehicles to the same call – there are also other things that start to happen due to the 8 minute response – such as sending a fast response unit to stop the clock – and because we are only measuring half the calls the green calls may have very long waits for an ambulance response. These kinds of behaviours are inefficient but in some ways are a logical response to current measurement – we are losing sight of the reason for the service, improving outcomes for patents” Prof Jonathan Benger National Clinical Director for Urgent Care NHS England Professor of Emergency Care University of the West of England, Bristol & Consultant in Emergency Medicine University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, January 2016

The national Ambulance Response CPD conference and exhibition due to be held on Tuesday 28th June 2016 in London will give delegates the opportunity to find out how the ambulance response can be improved – moving away from time based targets – and towards a new way of working, ensuring a clinically appropriate response that will improve outcomes for patients. Through national updates, to case studies and lessons from pilot sites the conference will update delegates on this important development and the impact in practice. The conference will also look at implications of working differently in terms of workforce, paramedic training, challenging public assumptions around ambulance responses, and the future for both Ambulance Trusts and independent Ambulance Services. 

Confirmed chair and speakers include; Mark Docherty Director of Clinical Commissioning and Strategic Development/Executive Nurse West Midlands Ambulance Services NHS Foundation Trust; Hilary Pillin Consultant in Healthcare Response & Preparedness Association of Ambulance Chief Executives; Dr Brendan Lloyd Medical Director and Richard Lee Director of Operations Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust with Julian Baker Director of Collaborative Commissioning Emergency Ambulance Services Committee; Neil Le Chevalier Director of Operations South West Ambulance Service (the South West Ambulance Service is a National Ambulance Response Programme Pilot Site); Kate Davies OBE Head of Armed Forces and their Families, Health & Justice and Sexual Assault Services Commissioning NHS England with Adellah Snape L&D Board Member and Service User Representative; Gerry Egan Chief Executive College of Paramedics; Mr Kjeld Brogaard Deputy MD Falck Emergency.

For further information visit http://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/improving-the-ambulance-response

For futher details you can also contact Kerry Tarrant via email at Kerry@hc-uk.org.uk