New ambulance category in Wales for stroke victims introduced

New ambulance category in Wales for stroke victims introduced

Health Secretary Jeremy Miles announced that a new “orange” category for ambulance 999 calls will be introduced in Wales, specifically aimed at improving care for stroke patients. Currently, individuals suffering from strokes or the specific type of heart attack known as STEMI fall under a general “amber” category, which encompasses about 70% of all emergency calls made to ambulances. The upcoming approach involves specialist nurses and paramedics screening calls to promptly identify patients who require immediate attention and specialized care from paramedics before being transported to a hospital.

While the new orange category will not have a set time target attached to it upon its implementation this winter, the average and longest response times will be documented and monitored. The quality of care patients receive prior to their arrival at the hospital will also be scrutinized. Health Secretary Jeremy Miles emphasized the urgency in providing quick and tailored responses to stroke patients to enhance their chances of survival, recovery, and overall well-being.

In addition to the introduction of the orange category, changes have been made to categorize and color-code most life-threatening 999 calls. A “purple” category now exists for individuals in cardiac or respiratory arrest, while a “red emergency” category is designated for incidents involving major trauma or other extremely serious situations. Ambulances are expected to arrive at the scene of these calls within an average of six to eight minutes to provide swift and critical care. As part of these updates, a new “video triage” initiative for suspected stroke patients is also being piloted in five areas to enable paramedics to engage in real-time communication with hospital stroke specialists before the individual reaches the medical facility

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