Ambulance service prepares for a busy winter

The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) is urging communities across the region to use its services responsibly this winter, as it prepares for a challenging period. 

The Trust is expecting to see significant and sustained demand across its 999 services this winter – a position that is reflected across health and care organisations locally, regionally, and nationally.

As winter approaches, flu and other respiratory illnesses are expected to rise, a drop in temperatures and ongoing pressures due to ambulance handover delays are set to compound the challenges already faced by the region’s ambulance service.

The Trust has developed an extensive winter plan, and its leaders are asking communities to help us to help you by following the below steps:

• Only call 999 when someone is seriously injured or ill and their life may be at risk. For example, if someone is unconscious, not breathing or is bleeding heavily.
   
• If you’re waiting for an ambulance, please don’t call 999 back — unless the patient’s condition has deteriorated or you no longer need an ambulance — to ask when one will arrive, these details can’t be provided, as ambulances are sent to patients with the most life-threatening conditions first.
   
• For non-life-threatening emergencies, people can access appropriate care by visiting NHS 111 online, contacting their GP or getting advice from a pharmacy.
   
• Jessica Cunningham, Executive Director of Operations at SWASFT, said: “We know this winter is going to be a very challenging time for us, which is why we’re urging local communities to use our services responsibly, and choose the right care for them. 

“We want to be there for everyone that needs the ambulance service in an emergency – to help us achieve this we need to have our crews available for patients with the most life-threatening conditions. Please only call 999 if someone is seriously injured or ill, for anything else, please contact NHS 111.

“I would like to thank our people and NHS colleagues who will be working together throughout the winter to help keep us all safe and well. Should you need their help, please be kind to them as they are all working hard under significant daily pressures.”

This winter, SWASFT and system partners, will continue to run Care Co-ordination Hubs across the South West.
The hubs bring together multi-disciplinary teams, including ambulance service clinicians and health and social care professionals. They provide real-time access for patients, to health and urgent care services based within the community or secondary care.

The hubs support a reduction in avoidable emergency department admissions and therefore avoidable ambulance dispatches and conveyances, whilst improving patient outcomes, quality of care and experience. 

SWASFT is also providing more clinicians in their Emergency Operations Centers this winter. The Trust has two Centres, one in Exeter and one in Bristol, where 999 calls are received. The clinicians will help remotely triage appropriate care for patients, quickly and efficiently. This again helps prevents avoidable emergency department admissions and ambulance dispatches.

For non-life-threatening emergencies, people can access appropriate care by visiting NHS 111 online, contacting their GP or getting advice from a pharmacy.