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Services

Accident & Emergency Services

In case of emergency

In the event of an accident or illness, if you need an emergency ambulance:

Be Prepared

Post the emergency 999-telephone number on each telephone.  You should include the location (house or flat number, street address) as well as any special directions or instructions.  Ensure house names and numbers are clearly visible from the roadside. If you live on an estate, check there is a map at the entrance to help the ambulance crew find their way.

Link to 999 Where Are You site (opens in a new window)

Be prepared to explain:

  1. What has happenedLink to the 999 REACT website (opens in a new window)
  2. Where has it happened - the street name and number where you need the ambulance
  3. The postal area, nearest road junction or land mark
  4. Your telephone number
  5. How many people are involved and why you are calling
  6. Any special hazards that may be involved
  7. Do you need the police or fire service to attend (we will call them for you)
  8. The casualty's age and sex, if known

Dial 999

When you dial 999,  you go through to a national telephone operator who asks 'emergency, which service do you require and what is your telephone number?' If you state 'ambulance' the call is passed to the accident & emergency control centre in Exeter or Dorset.  Our communication centres have direct links with all local ambulance stations, vehicles and hospitals.

Ambulance Control

The ambulance call taker will answer the call 'ambulance emergency'.  This is to reassure the caller that they have got through to the right place and that we will help.

The call taker will ask the caller:

  1. What is the phone number you are calling from?
  2. What is the exact location of the incident?
  3. What is the problem?

Once this information has been recorded, the nearest ambulance will be dispatched to the incident.  The call taker will then guide the caller through a series of questions about the patient's condition or reported incident (999 where are you?).

Try to answer the questions as clearly and quickly as possible.  This allows us to make sure that the appropriate ambulance resource is sent.

Helping the Ambulance Service

  • If you are in the street, stay with the patient until the ambulance crew arrives and call back if their condition or location changes
  • If you are calling from home or work, get someone to open the doors and signal where the ambulance crew is needed
  • Lock away any family pets
  • Remember to stay calm - ambulance crews are there to help and violence towards them will not be tolerated

Deployment

Ambulance resources are deployed to the incident at the same time the call is being taken.  The severity of the call will reflect what is sent to the scene.  Resources can be:

Emergency AmbulanceAccident and Emergency Ambulance
Emergency MotorcycleMotorcycle
Air AmbulanceAir Ambulance
Rapid Response VehicleRapid Response Vehicle
First RespondersFirst Responder
Cycle Response Unit

Advice

There are some emergencies that are so serious that something has to be done for the patient until help arrives.  In this type of case, the call taker will relay specific medical instructions to the caller until the ambulance crew arrive.

On Scene Treatment

The crew may be a single person or two person crew. Upon arrival at the incident, someone should explain to them what has happened. They will assess the patient's condition and provide appropriate treatment.  They carry a large range of equipment and drugs which assist them in the treatment and monitoring of patients.

On the way to hospital

The ambulance crew will continue to treat the patient on the way to hospital.  When necessary the Ambulance Service maintains a dialogue with the receiving accident and emergency department.  Using direct telephone lines or radios placed in accident and emergency departments, the hospital may be alerted to the patient's condition.

At the Hospital

On arrive at the accident and emergency department, the crew will transfer the care of the patient providing a verbal and written report on the patient's condition.  A copy of the written report will be held securely on file for a period of up to 25 years.

What happens to my personal information?

 


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