South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, (SECAmb), is developing a new clinically-led strategy using a level of analysis it says has not previously been seen in the ambulance sector.
People are being invited to get involved in shaping the new strategy which will use data to ensure the trust is best placed to respond to changes in the profile of patients it cares for.
SECAmb data shows that:
- More than half of calls (54 per cent) come from the over 65s, who make up 20 per cent of the population in the SECAmb region.
- One of every ten hours spent with patients is on scene with someone who’s fallen.
- 20 per cent of calls received are cardiac related.
- Mental health is the sixth most common reason SECAmb attend patients.
- 50 per cent of patients take five or more prescription medications.
- Patients who’ve called SECAmb five times or more account for 17 per cent of calls.
Chief medical officer, Rachel Oaten, said: “By using the wealth of data we have available to us, we are developing our strategy to ensure we’re better placed to meet the needs of our communities in the years ahead, while continuing to ensure we can respond to our most critically-ill and injured patients in a timely manner.
“Our patients have diverse needs, spanning the spectrum from social care to critical care but only a small proportion truly require emergency or critical care. Despite this changing variety and increasing complexity, we typically respond to all patients in an undifferentiated, time-driven way. This one-size-fits-all model does not always meet all our patients’ needs or support our workforce.”
Members of the public who would like to get involved or find out more, are invited to email [email protected] and visit the website https://www.secamb.nhs.uk/how-we-do-it/our-vision-and-strategy/