Paramedic pilot launched to help to deliver the right response, first time

Health Education England (HEE) is investing £600,000 to trial a new working model for specialist and advanced paramedics, enabling them to work across a variety of settings - including primary and community-based care, as well as within the ambulance service. The pilot is expected to improve patient care and support workload.

Paramedics have a unique skill set which enables them to deliver care to patients across a variety of settings – making them a very valuable resource, not only for the ambulance service but also for other parts of the NHS.

It’s been recognised over several years that a large proportion of emergency calls that result in admission to hospital by ambulance could be avoided, if paramedics or community teams were able to deliver patient care at the scene. The idea of the pilot is to send the most appropriate healthcare professional, with the appropriate skill set, to offer definitive care to a patient – the right response, first time.

The pilots, that will run in collaboration with the Yorkshire, North East, East Midlands and South Central Ambulance services, will explore whether a new rotational model of working is feasible and economically viable. Specialist and advanced paramedic practitioners (SPPs and APPs) will work in Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) within the ambulance service; community-based multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs); and GP practices, on a rotational basis.

In addition to developing these paramedics' skills set, the outcome of the pilots will be evaluated to establish how the role can help to best deliver high quality patient care.

Patrick Mitchell, Regional Director, Health Education England said:

This is a really exciting opportunity to invest in and test out a new way of working that will have benefits for many parts of the NHS and, more importantly, for patients.

We are pleased to be investing in piloting these ways of working, and we look forward to seeing the results.

Notes

Yorkshire, South East Hants, Newcastle and Derbyshire/Lincolnshire have each received a £150k share of the funding after they successfully bid to pilot the rotational model.

Bids were invited from ambulance services in England, with the successful sites selected on their commitment to the rotational model; the nature of their current services that would facilitate the testing of the proof of concept; and their willingness to take part in the evaluation and sharing of their learning.

Update: This page was updated on 9 February 2018 to change North West to Yorkshire. North West Ambulance Service is no longer able to support the pilot at this time so Yorkshire Ambulance Service will be taking part in the programme.