Staff at Britain’s largest ambulance service will be in line for rewards under an incentive scheme if they can reduce the number of ambulances sent to 999 calls.
The scheme, which reports say will involve cash bonuses, has been defended by the London Ambulance Service, said that demand for its services has continued to rise and that a change of policy surrounding the dispatching of ambulances was designed to ensure that they were available for the neediest.
“Traditionally, when people with minor illnesses and injuries call 999, we have sent them an ambulance,” said Paul Woodrow, director of service delivery for London Ambulance Service.
“We are no longer doing this as these patients do not need to be treated by an ambulance crew and they don't require hospital treatment. We need our medics to be available to respond quickly to patients in life-threatening situations or with serious injuries.”
I’m not so sure about the idea of staff receiving a cash bonus for reducing the number of ambulances they send out, because that’s the wrong message to say the less ambulances you send the more you get paid.
But I do support the idea of prioritising where they should be sent and the idea to stop dispatching them to people who simply don’t need them.
Ambulances are there for major emergencies so why should people with minor illnesses and injuries who don’t need hospital treatment be sent one? It’s a no-brainer really
While the bonuses scheme needs a lot of refining the main idea is a good one and I hope that everyone doesn’t get hung up on the financial incentives, because London Ambulance Service are just trying to make more effective and efficient use of their time and resources.
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