Ambulance staff will not be sent to those who have suffered non emergency falls in Lincolnshire in a new pilot project that is aiming to cut waiting times.
A new “model of response” to deal with falls has been announced and Lincolnshire County Council, which has pledged £300,000 to help fund it, hopes it will be up and running before Christmas.
But the authority says it does not yet know who will attend non-emergency falls in place of East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) staff.
It’s hoped the new modal will ensure fall victim in Lincolnshire don’t have to wait so long to be seen which will also allow EMAS to prioritise the most life-threatening calls.
The progress of the project will be reviewed in spring 2019.
It follows a meeting on Wednesday November 7 attended by the council, local NHS trusts, representatives from the police, fire service, air ambulance and the first responders charity LIVES.
They signed a “Joint Statement of Intent” which states that EMAS will commit to spend more resource in Lincolnshire and appoint a lead officer to work with the other organisations in the county.
Both LIVES through the charity’s volunteers, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue and the county council’s Well Being Service already provide a first responders service for different incidents.
The county council’s funding will be from the additional money from government to help councils deal with winter pressures.
Coun Martin Hill, leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: “I very much welcome the additional resource that health commissioners and East Midlands Ambulance Service have committed, which will provide 39 new ambulances in the county, and their work to provide a more bespoke service in Lincolnshire.”
“To make sure that this investment has the biggest impact on the service our residents get, it is only right that the council and others agree to do all we can to help.”
Coun Patricia Bradwell, executive councillor for adult health and care at the county council, said: “We’ve agreed to fund this pilot project to provide a more appropriate and timely response to people who fall this winter, as an expansion of existing response services in the county.
“As well as people getting the care they need more quickly, there will be benefits to the whole health and care system, avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions and allowing ambulances to go to where they are most needed in the county.”
Richard Henderson, chief executive at EMAS said: “Partner agencies at the meeting agreed that EMAS is in a good position to continue to provide quality services to the people of Lincolnshire. T
“To keep delivering better clinical outcomes, all agencies will work more collaboratively.
“At EMAS, we are investing in new ambulances and equipment for Lincolnshire, and are progressing well with our recruitment campaign to increase the number of clinicians that we have working on the frontline.”
