RE: Ambulance response times again

["Alan Meekings" <alan@landmarkconsulting.co.uk>]

Mark,

What was the specific document on the CHI site that illustrated the charts
to which you refer?

In general terms, I think it's fair to say that Ambulance Trusts in the UK
make the same mistake that far too many other organisations make -
especially call centres - namely treating every incoming call (in this case,
'999' emergency calls) as a unit of work for which they need to be
staffed-up and equipped (and even targeted) to respond. Instead, they need
to understand the nature of demand properly, especially with a view to be
able to distinguish between 'wanted' demand and 'unwanted', or 'avoidable',
demand.

Just as we can prove from an analysis of demand for orthopaedic care, which
we conducted last year in a representative area of the UK, that over 50% of
referrals from GPs should not - at least in the first instance - wait up to
17 weeks to be seen by Consultant orthopaedic surgeons, so my guess is that
a significant proportion of incoming 999 calls to Ambulance Trusts do not
warrant a double-manned ambulance, with flashing blue lights, rushing round
the local roads in response.

Frankly, a significant proportion of all incoming emergency calls could
either be avoided altogether (for instance, by working to improve the
interface with the UK's national telephone helpline, NHS Direct) or would
merit alternative treatment (such as calling Social Services, responding
within two hours rather than 8 minutes, or whatever). 

Boil it all down: charts for response times may be interesting, but they
need to be seen in the context of the fact that many of the actual responses
may be either inappropriate or avoidable.

Were Ambulance Trusts to 'rub their tummies and pat their heads at the same
time' - by simultaneously scrutinising SPC charts of actual, individual
response times while working systematically with other partners in their
local 'health economies' to reduce unwanted and avoidable demand -
performance could be transformed at no additional cost and with net benefits
all round.

If you could point us in the direction of the charts to which you refer, it
would be great to carry forward this discussion with other contributors, as
you suggest.

Regards as ever,
 
Alan
 
Email: alan@landmarkconsulting.co.uk
Mobile: 07785 258 741


> "The website is: http://www.chi.nhs.uk/eng/cgr/ambulance/index.shtml where
>  you will find pages of procedures for measuring and auditing ambulance
>  performance.