With the added pressure of COVID-19, staff shortages in the NHS, and increased volumes of 999 calls, parts of the UK are experiencing delays in the provision of emergency ambulance services.
According to the Independent, 9 out of 10 ambulance trusts in England are currently operating at the highest demand level 4, formerly known as ‘black alert’. The Trust has now stated that for some 999 callers, who are deemed urgent but not life-threatening, an ambulance will no longer be sent until a paramedic has spoken to the patient and confirmed that one is needed.
Use the 111 service in non-life threatening situations
The Telecare Services Association has advised users of the Careline alert service to use the 111 service as a triage in non-life-threatening situations, rather than calling 999 immediately.
By referring people with non-life threatening problems to the 111 service, they can receive appropriate help and support from trained healthcare professionals. The 111 service is designed to provide medical advice on non-urgent matters and to help individuals assess their situation before deciding on the most appropriate course of action. This could be advice on self-treatment, a recommendation to visit a local healthcare facility, or arranging an ambulance service if necessary.
If you are a Telecare24 customer and you raise your alarm to get medical help, please do not take offence if we ask you to call 111 if you can. We may be able to call 111 on your behalf; however, due to confidentiality, it is likely 111 will need to contact you directly.
If you have already spoken to 111 and feel as though your situation has worsened, raise your alarm again and let us know. In such cases, we may try to contact your keyholders or the emergency services on your behalf. If your situation is life-threatening, you should call 999 if you are able to do so.
Our customers can be sure that help is always at hand
As a Telecare24 customer, you can be sure that we will continue to answer your calls for help as quickly as possible when you trigger your careline alarm.
If you haven’t already, please let us know who your keyholders are so we can contact them in an emergency. If you do not have any keyholders, you can also tell us your next of kin who we will notify if we need to call 999. We also have each client’s doctor’s details and can contact your GP if needed. Your GP can then call you back directly for additional reassurance.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. We hope you found it useful. For more information, visit our blog page.
