Non-urgent cases may have wait longer for an ambulance
LESS serious medical emergencies could be waiting longer for an ambulance, according to the head of operations at the St John Emergency Ambulance Service.
‘Because we are getting busier, people who are less unwell or less injured may have to wait longer,’ said Dean De La Mare.
‘Previously we’d get to everybody really quickly regardless of the severity of their condition, whereas now we’re just trying to make people aware that we are working more towards our response time, but that’s because our demand has gone up so much.’
St John received nearly 7,000 calls in 2021 and is running a campaign so islanders understand its triage process and target response times.
The service is receiving nearly 50% more calls than six years ago and said it now has to prioritise casualties.
Mr De La Mare explained that unlike a city centre in the UK, Guernsey cannot predict when peak times will be, and the unpredictability can often mean four or five calls at once.
‘In nine out of 10 cases we get to the casualty within our eight minute response time, however our highest demand has been over 30 calls in a day, so it’s just about distributing our resources accordingly.’
The most common calls St John receive are for falls.
‘The ageing demographic could well have something to do with it, but it’s is really difficult to pinpoint exactly why demand is going up,’ said Mr De La Mare.
‘Covid has affected the service to some degree, but again is definitely not the sole reason for increased demand.
‘People will call us and may have Covid along with something else, but it’s not the reason for most of our calls.’
Mr De La Mare predicted that 2022 will be similar to 2021.
‘We haven’t seen a steep increase but the demand is still high, and it’s the unpredictability of it and the fact that a large number of calls could all come in at the same time.’
He thanked all St John staff for their help in providing extra resilience for the service. 'We’re really grateful for all that they do.'
The campaign is launched today to raise awareness that people may have to wait a bit longer, but everyone is still encouraged to call 999 if they have any concerns.
Triage system
This system for prioritising calls is internationally recognised and has been in place for several years in Guernsey.
The operator at the Joint Emergency Service Control Centre (JESCC) who answers a 999 call will ask a series of questions to determine the seriousness.
The closest resource will be dispatched straight away to calls were life is at risk
For less urgent calls, JESCC will decide on the best response.
If a patient’s condition worsens or deteriorates you should immediately call back on 999 and explain the changes.
Call categories
Category one is people with life threatening injuries and illnesses which include cardiac arrests, unconscious patients and patients who are having an active convulsion. The target arrival time is eight minutes.
Category two calls are for all other emergencies, these include patients with breathing difficulties, chest pain, severe bleeding and strokes. Target arrival time is 14 minutes.
Category three is for urgent calls which include diabetes, faints and uninjured patients who have fallen. Target arrival time is 30 minutes.
Category four is for less urgent calls such as patients who have diarrhoea and vomiting or a urinary infection. Target arrivals time is within two hours.
