Abstract
Introduction
Ambulance clinicians main focus during stroke care is symptom recognition and rapid transport to specialist units to maximise the effectiveness of time-critical treatments. However, in England ambulance on-scene times (OST) (arrival at the patients’ location to leaving for hospital) have increased in recent years and appear extended compared to international services. As part of a project to explore ambulance OST national data were collected.
Methods
Data on monthly average OST for suspected stroke patients transported to hospital were requested in March 2023 from the ten regional ambulance services in England for December 2021 to November 2022 via freedom of information requests and through a special interest group. Data are presented descriptively with OST rounded to the nearest minute.
Results
Nine ambulance services supplied OST data and four services described the number of cases (871 (SD 606) per service per month (mean of means)). The mean OST across the whole dataset was 37 (SD 4) minutes. Mean OST per service ranged from 29-43 minutes. The lowest monthly mean OST (one service, two months) was 27 minutes and the highest (two service, eight months) was 44 minutes.
Conclusions
Ambulance OST with suspected stroke patients frequently exceeds NHSE recommendations of 30 minutes. The aggregate data and potential differences in case ascertainment limits the conclusions that can be drawn. However, the variation within the data raises further questions as prehospital stroke care across England should be reasonably standardised and the difference between the best and worst performing services and months requires further examination.
Ambulance clinicians main focus during stroke care is symptom recognition and rapid transport to specialist units to maximise the effectiveness of time-critical treatments. However, in England ambulance on-scene times (OST) (arrival at the patients’ location to leaving for hospital) have increased in recent years and appear extended compared to international services. As part of a project to explore ambulance OST national data were collected.
Methods
Data on monthly average OST for suspected stroke patients transported to hospital were requested in March 2023 from the ten regional ambulance services in England for December 2021 to November 2022 via freedom of information requests and through a special interest group. Data are presented descriptively with OST rounded to the nearest minute.
Results
Nine ambulance services supplied OST data and four services described the number of cases (871 (SD 606) per service per month (mean of means)). The mean OST across the whole dataset was 37 (SD 4) minutes. Mean OST per service ranged from 29-43 minutes. The lowest monthly mean OST (one service, two months) was 27 minutes and the highest (two service, eight months) was 44 minutes.
Conclusions
Ambulance OST with suspected stroke patients frequently exceeds NHSE recommendations of 30 minutes. The aggregate data and potential differences in case ascertainment limits the conclusions that can be drawn. However, the variation within the data raises further questions as prehospital stroke care across England should be reasonably standardised and the difference between the best and worst performing services and months requires further examination.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Publication status | Unpublished - 4 Dec 2023 |
| Event | UK Stroke Forum 2023 - ICC, Birmingham, United Kingdom Duration: 4 Dec 2023 → 6 Dec 2023 |
Conference
| Conference | UK Stroke Forum 2023 |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | UKSF |
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| City | Birmingham |
| Period | 4/12/23 → 6/12/23 |
