WEST Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) is encouraging patients across the region to help its staff come to the correct diagnoses.
To mark World Patient Safety Day last week, which this year has the theme of ‘Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety’, the service wants residents to know how they can be a part of the ‘team’.
WMAS says patients explaining what is wrong is one of the most important parts of making a correct diagnosis – and that could, in some cases, mean the difference between life and death.
A WMAS spokesperson said: “No-one wants to go to hospital unless they have to.
“We are taking fewer patients to A&E than ever – the number has fallen by over a quarter in the last decade. Today less than 50 per cent go to A&E and around 20 per cent are dealt with over the phone, with the rest treated at the scene by our staff and discharged or referred into another part of the NHS. To enable us to do that, the initial diagnosis becomes particularly important.”
They said patients and their loved ones who called 999 could help by listening carefully to the questions call assessors ask and by providing them with as much information as possible.
The spokesperson added: “If you are in the 20 per cent of patients who we don’t send an ambulance to, you may also get a call back from one of the paramedics or nurses in our control room who work in our Clinical Validation Team.
“Where possible they will want to speak to the patient and ask more questions so that they can get an even better understanding of what the issue is.
“Having that additional information will allow them to better provide care for you whether that is simply advice or by referring you to another part of the NHS be that a GP, pharmacist, refer you directly into a ward at hospital or arrange for a clinician from an urgent care team to visit you.
“If we send an ambulance to you, the crew will ask you a series of questions as well as carry out specific checks to get a better understanding of what is wrong. Again, it is vitally important you answer as honestly and as in-depth as possible.
“The crew will often ask if they can access the patient’s GP records as this will allow them to get an even clearer idea of your medical history which could make a real difference in determining the best course of action for you.”
WMAS’ patient safety learning lead, Katie Cartwright, said improving patient safety was of paramount importance and something the service focused on every single day.
She added: “World Patient Safety Day just gives us the perfect opportunity to highlight the part all of our patients and their friends and loved ones can play in helping us to provide the best treatment possible.
“Reaching the correct diagnosis is essential to ensuring the patient journey is as smooth as it can possibly be, and it helps to ensure the right level of help is arranged.
“We want to ensure ambulances are sent to patients who need them the most and by working with us, you can help us to get to patients more quickly which will help to save lives.”
