Implementation of HCRT desk in control rooms

With the introduction of the health care referral team (HCRT) to the 999 service, a new dispatch desk will be staffed in Bedford and Chelmsford control rooms to deploy these resources.

The HCRT desk will also dispatch intermediate level private and voluntary resources and will be staffed by either a dispatcher or a call handler from the pool group that have received training appropriate for their role.

The HCRT desks will go live on Monday (3rd November) at 8am. Chelmsford emergency operations centre (EOC) will be deploying for Essex resources and Bedford EOC will be deploying resources for Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridge, Suffolk and Norfolk.

The implementation of the HCRT desks is essential to ensure the efficient utilisation of HCRT, private and voluntary resources to urgent health care referral requests and improve urgent journey compliance within the agreed timeframe across the Trust.

These changes have also meant changes to talk groups, please read the separate article for more information.

Published 30th October 2014