999

When you call 999, a telephone operator will ask you which Emergency service you need:

Police;
Fire;
Ambulance.

In a medical emergency you should ask for “Ambulance”. You will then be put through to your nearest ambulance control centre.

The Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) will ask for the location of the incident in order to confirm this. You will need to give the following details:

The telephone number you are calling from;
The address of the emergency;
What the problem is and exactly what has happened.

Once this information is given, an ambulance will be dispatched. However, the EMD will need some additional details, for example:

Are you with the patient?
Patient’s age and sex;
Are they unconscious?
Are they breathing?

You will then be asked questions relevant to the patient’s condition.

The questions about the patient's condition do not delay the response but allow us to work out what resources are required and how quickly we need to get to the patient.

As soon as the patient information is given, it is entered onto our Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System (AMPDS).

Ambulance resources are deployed to the incident while the call is being taken. The nature and severity of the call will reflect what is sent to the scene. Every call will receive the nearest ambulance but some calls may also receive the nearest Rapid Response vehicle or a First Responder.

Our aim is to get help to you as soon as possible.

Stay on the Line Advice
There are some emergencies where assistance can be given to the patient before an ambulance arrives. In this type of case, the call taker will relay specific medical instruction to the caller until the ambulance crew arrives.

Treatment at the Scene
When the ambulance crew arrives at an incident, someone should explain to the ambulance crew what has happened. They assess the patient’s condition and provide appropriate treatment. They carry a large range of medical equipment and drugs which assists them in the treatment and monitoring of patients.

On the Way to the Hospital
The ambulance personnel will continue to treat the patient on the way to the hospital. Where appropriate, the ambulance crew initiates and maintains a dialogue with the receiving Accident and Emergency Department or hospital, alerting them of the seriousness of the patient’s condition.

Arrival at the Scene
On arrival at the Accident & Emergency Department or hospital, the ambulance personnel will transfer care of the patient to the receiving clinicians, providing a verbal and written report (Patient Report Form) on the patient’s condition and they then ensure that their equipment and vehicle is ready for the next call.