Shake-up planned for 999 calls

The new system could save lives

The Scottish Ambulance Service has unveiled proposals to start prioritising emergency calls so crews can deal with the most urgent cases first.

Its board has produced recommendations aimed at phasing out the 'first come, first served' system of allocating ambulances.

It is believed that the new system, which was recommended in a report to MSPs almost two years ago, could save hundreds of lives each year.

Emergencies will gain priority

The proposals have now gone to the Scottish Executive - and would become fully operational within two years if they receive approval from ministers.

Ambulance chiefs say that 364 heart attack victims will be given a greater chance of survival if their 999 calls are prioritised.

The service says it could also reach more than 22,000 other emergency calls much more quickly if crews could go to the most urgent cases first.

It is estimated that a fifth of the 500,000 emergency calls attended each year in Scotland are not serious or life threatening.

Under the service's proposals there would be three state-of-the-art emergency control rooms in Paisley, Edinburgh and Inverness and 30 non-emergency centres located in hospitals.

The initiative will deliver a higher standard of care that is more appropriate to our patients' needs

Scottish Ambulance Service chief executive Adrian Lucas

The service says emergency patients would receive a faster response and non-emergency patients would benefit from shorter journey times.

Chief executive Adrian Lucas said: "This is a significant milestone in the ongoing modernisation process for the Scottish Ambulance Service and, when complete, we will have significantly increased the standard of patient care in Scotland.

"Our proposals will be implemented over a period of two years from the time that we receive the appropriate funding from the Scottish Executive.

"Overall the initiative will deliver a higher standard of care that is more appropriate to our patients' needs, whether they be emergency or non-emergency patients."

'Free taxis'

In June 2000, the Scottish Parliament's audit committee investigated the ambulance service and why it did not give dispatch priority to emergency calls.

A report that some people were using the service "like free taxis".

The audit committee found that some people were faking illness or injury in order to use emergency ambulances in Glasgow.

MSPs could not understand why priority dispatch had not happened already when it was commonplace south of the border.