Reviewing how we respond to calls

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Over the past month we have set up a group to review how we respond to 999 calls, specifically exploring how we can better use our staff and resources and provide the patient with the most appropriate response to their needs.

This group includes managers from EOC, operations, clinical, information, Unison and communications and they have been gathering feedback from Bedford EOC staff. A deployment workshop has also been held with a group of staff and managers from all three EOCs which has helped develop some new guidelines. We will be testing these in Bedford EOC given that they have already implemented the new CAD (and so also gives us an opportunity to see how this works in practice with Cleric). 

As a result, we are looking to run some trials around how we can respond to calls differently. It is planned to run these on 21st January, 26th January and 1st February (8am-6pm) and this will include trying out the revised deployment guidelines, increasing the clinical staffing in Bedford EOC so we can signpost and triage appropriate Green 2 calls under an expanded hear and treat model, and having a manager in Bedford EOC to look at how we can better support staff around meal breaks and out-of-service time etc. The results from the trails will be evaluated against a number of objectives including: 

  • improved service and response to patients 
  • improved utilisation of resources (ie. appropriate use of resources and providing the best and most appropriate response to patients) 
  • increased dispatcher autonomy 
  • increased hear and treat for clinically appropriate Green 2 calls 
  • maintained patient safety 
  • impact on out of service and back up delays 
  • impact on reducing late finishes. 

At the same time we are reviewing how we can increase operational resourcing in the short term in Beds and Herts as we recognise that we need to look at a wider number of areas to improve our service to patients. Updates on progress will be shared in Need to Know.

Published 19th January, 2016

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