UK Air Ambulance/HEMS - Dispatch Criteria
A question addressed to all UK units outside London which I know acts as a specialist 'trauma response team' -
"Are you happy with your dispatch criteria?"
Are you being used:
1. as a selective 'fly swat' to deal only with incidents labelled 'serious',
2. as an integral part of the Ambulance Service with the intent to make it as effective as possible regardless of the apparent severity of the call,
3. our contribution is rationed to so many sorties a month due to finical constraints so we only go out on the 'important' jobs.
If this scarce and valuable resource is to have optimum effect then I believe we have to address the logistical part of the overall response equation and not just respond to high profile incidents. What say you?
G.