Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List
| | A | | | B | | | C | | | D | | | E | | | F | | | G | | | H | | | I | | | J | | | K | | | L | | | M | |
| | N | | | O | | | P | | | Q | | | R | | | S | | | T | | | U | | | V | | | W | | | X | | | Y | |
Policy guidelines of Ambulance Service
One responsibility of the ambulance service is react quickly to emergency situations. Guidelines set out by the Department of Health state how fast ambulances should respond to an emergency. This varies depending on the seriousness of the situation, and whether the service operates in the city, town or countryside. When you telephone for an ambulance, the calls are prioritised into three categories:
- Category A emergencies: These calls are prioritised as life threatening and the ambulance service aims to respond to them within eight minutes, irrespective of location.
- Category B and C emergencies: These calls are serious but not immediately life threatening, and should be responded to within 14 minutes (urban), or 19 minutes (rural).
In addition to dealing with emergency care, ambulance services are required to undertake complex admissions, discharges, and transfers. This type of non-emergency work is carried out by the Patient Transport Service (PTS). The PTS provide transport for geriatric day care and disabled patients, along with all other patients who need to attend a hospital for out-patient appointments or treatment.
