Emergency Services Review. Good Practice Guide for Ambulance Services and their Commissioners

Source: Department of Health

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Date of publication: October 2009

Publication type: Best practice

In a nutshell: This report draws together published guidance for UK Ambulance Services and is directed at Ambulance Service managers, Commissioners and Partners in Unscheduled Care. The report addresses: Ambulance Service Commissioning, Whole System Working and Effective Partnerships, aspects of Operational Performance (Understanding Demand, Aligning Resources to Demand, The Call Cycle & Emergency Operations Centres) and Escalation. The report is extensively referenced with hyper links to relevant documents on the web and a full bibliography.

Length of publication: 27 pages

Emergency Services Review. A Comparative Review of International Ambulance Service Best Practice

Source: Department of Health

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Date of publication: October 2009

Publication type: Best practice

In a nutshell: A two part report addressing international best practice in Ambulance Services.  Part One contains thr report of an eight question survey of EMS leaders from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Germany and USA.  Part Two reports international best practice reported in the literature.  The report presents a series of recommendations based on the evidence collected.

Length of publication: 66 pages

Tackling demand together

Source: Department of Health

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Date of publication: October 2009

Publication type: Best Practice

In a nutshell: This toolkit has been produced by a group of ambulance providers and primary care trust commissioners together with the Department of Health to offer practical analysis, worksheets and tools to help all commissioners and providers improve urgent and emergency care services through better understanding of the factors affecting significant rises in 999 demand.

Length of publication: 59 pages

What’s New in Emergency Pre-hospital Care Research?

Source: Emergency Medicine Journal, 2009, 26 (10), p. 747 – 478.

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Date of publication: October 2009

Publication type: Journal Article

In a nutshell: Posters and summaries of papers delivered at What’s New in Emergency Pre-hospital Care Research? a 2008 conference organised by 999 EMS Research Forum in collaboration with University of Sheffield and The National Ambulance Research Steering Group. Papers cover current research in areas of paramedic practice.

Length of publication: 2 pages

Some important notes: Contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Ambulance HART – Harzardous Area Response Team

Source: Ambulance HART (Harzardous Area Response Team)

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Date of publication: 2009

Publication type: Website

In a nutshell:  Hazardous Area Response Teams originated from a 2004 report on the feasibility of Paramedics working in the inner cordon or hot zone of major incidents. The website explains the roll of  HART programme and reports on the progress of creating HART teams within Ambulance Services. Areas covered included:  recruitment, training, current initiatives, a news wire and online access to the Inside HART newsletter.

Pandemic influenza toolkit for NHS ambulance services in England

Source: Department of Health

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Date of publication: August 2009

Publication type: Best Practice

In a nutshell:  This toolkit is part of the Department of Health’s (DH) programme for improving and enhancing the preparedness within NHS ambulance services for managing pandemic influenza. The aim is to support ambulance trusts in the delivery of an operational response. This toolkit of available best practice guidance is intended as a practical guide for NHS ambulance trusts, covering the handling of issues associated with an influenza pandemic. It has been developed by the DH Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Programme (PIPP) in conjunction with health professionals and colleagues from DH, strategic health authorities (SHAs) and NHS ambulance trusts.

Length of publication: 7 pages

Some important notes: This document supports Pandemic influenza: Guidance for ambulance services and their staff in England, which is available at http://www.dh.gov.uk/pandemicflu. The document may be updated to reflect lessons learned from future operational experience.

What are the highest priorities for research in emergency prehospital care

Source: Emergency Medicine Journal, 26 (8), 549-550

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Date of publication: August 2009

Publication type: Journal Article

In a nutshell:  The Department of Health (UK) recommended in Taking healthcare to the patient: Transforming NHS ambulance services that it should commission a programme of work to build the evidence base for prehospital and out of hospital care. The 999 EMS Research Forum was commissioned to identify gaps in the evidence base and priority areas for research. This paper summarises the report, identifying the top 10 priority topics for research and and three broad areas for priority research.

Length of publication: 2 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Three-digit number for non-emergency healthcare services

Source: OFCOM

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Date of publication: July 2009

Publication type: Website

In a nutshell: OFCOM on behalf of the Department of Health have issued a consultation on the implementation of a new three digit number for non-emergency healthcare services. The consultation opened on 09 July 2009 and closes on the 20 August 2009. OFCOM recommends choosing 111. The consultation document outlines four options and makes the case for choosing 111.

Length of publication: 1 page with link to 62 page .pdf consultation document

Some important notes: Additional information can be found from the Department of Health press release New Phone Number to Make Urgent Care Easier to Access and Three-digit number (3DN) to access non-emergency health care webpage.

An evaluation of the accuracy and safety of NHS Pathways

Source: Parliament 

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Date of Publication: June 2008 (published online June 2009)

Publication Type: Research

In a nutshell: Report that assesses the robustness, performance, accuracy, efficiency and safety of the NHS Pathways trial with North East Ambulance Service. NHS Pathways refers callers to the Ambulance service to relevant alternative care providers if appropriate, reducing the number of Category A (8 minute response calls). The report concluded that NHS Pathways was at least as safe as current call assessment and prioritisation processes. The study informed the Department of Health’s decision to allow Ambulance services across the UK to adopt NHS Pathways, announced in the February 2009.

Length of publication: 130 pages

Some important notes: E-Health Insider reports the original announcement from The Department of Health on NHS Pathways.

Acknowledgements: Turner , J., Lattimer, V. and Snooks, H., 2008. An evaluation of the accuracy and safety of NHS Pathways. London: Commissioned by The Department of Health from The Medical Care Research Unit at the University of Sheffield in collaboration with the University of Southampton and Swansea University.