Central Return Form Guidance
  Change history 2.1.0

KA34 - Ambulance Services

    Part 1: Emergency Calls

  1. Part 1 of KA34 requires information on EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS by RESPONSE CATEGORY. Include any URGENT TRANSPORT REQUESTS, SPECIAL TRANSPORT REQUESTS and PLANNED TRANSPORT REQUESTS which, after interrogation and the agreement of the caller, are treated as EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS

    2. Category A: Immediately Life Threatening Calls (column 4)

  2. A count of the number of EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS with a RESPONSE CATEGORY classification of Category A: immediately life threatening.

    3. Category B&C: Other Emergency Calls (column 5)

  3. A count of the total number of EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS with RESPONSE CATEGORY classifications of Category B: serious but not immediately life threatening and Category C: other emergency calls which are not immediately life threatening or serious. This count applies to calls from April to September 2004.

    4. Category B (column 6)

  4. A count of the number of EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS with a RESPONSE CATEGORY classification of Category B: serious but not immediately life threatening.

    5. Category C (column 7)

  5. A count of the number of EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS with a RESPONSE CATEGORY classification of Category C: other emergency calls which are not immediately life threatening or serious.

    6. Total number of Emergency Calls (line 01)

  6. This line counts the total number of EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS received. If there have been multiple calls to an incident, count all calls in this line. From 1 October 2004, requests classified as Category B and Category C are recorded separately

    7. Number of calls resulting in an emergency response arriving at the scene of the incident (line 02)

  7. This line counts the number of EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS for which a RESPONSE TIME - NON-AMBULANCE or RESPONSE TIME - AMBULANCE has been recorded. From 1 October 2004 Categories A, B and C are recorded separately.

    8. Number of calls resulting in an emergency response arriving at the scene of the incident within 8 minutes (line 03)

  8. This line counts the number of EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS for which a RESPONSE TIME - NON-AMBULANCE or RESPONSE TIME - AMBULANCE has been recorded and the response time is less than or equal to 8 minutes and 0 seconds. From 1 October 2004 this detail is not required for Category C.

    The response time is the elapsed time from receipt of an emergency call to the time when the first emergency response vehicle (ambulance or non-ambulance) arrives at the scene of the incident. The clock starts when the following details about the call have been ascertained (which may be prior to allocation of the despatch code).

    a. caller's telephone number
    b. exact location of the incident
    c. nature of the chief complaint.

    The clock stops when the emergency response vehicle (ambulance or non-ambulance) arrives at the scene of the incident.

  9. Where both a RESPONSE TIME - NON-AMBULANCE and a RESPONSE TIME - AMBULANCES have been recorded for the same EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS, then the shortest recorded response time should be used to determine if response time is less than or equal to 8 minutes and 0 seconds.

  10. If there have been multiple calls to an incident, count only one call per incident in this line.

    11. Number of calls where following the arrival of an emergency response no ambulance is required (line 04)

  11. This line counts the number of EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS with a RESPONSE - AMBULANCE CANCELLED classification of Yes, ambulance cancelled as no longer required. If there have been multiple calls to an incident, count only one call per incident in this line. From 1 October 2004 the Categories A, B and C are recorded separately.

    12. Number of calls resulting in an ambulance able to transport a patient arriving at the scene of the incident (line 05)

  12. This line counts the number of EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS for which a RESPONSE TIME - AMBULANCE has been recorded. If there have been multiple calls to an incident, count only one call per incident in this line. From 1 October 2004 this detail is not reqired for Category C.

    13. Number of calls resulting in an ambulance able to transport a patient arriving at the scene of the incident within 14 minutes (Urban Services) and 19 minutes (Rural Services) (line 06)

  13. This line counts the number of EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS for which a RESPONSE TIME - AMBULANCE has been recorded and the response time is:

    a. less than or equal to 14 minutes and 0 seconds for an AMBULANCE SERVICE with an URBAN OR RURAL INDICATOR classification of Urban.
       
    or  
       
    b. less than or equal to 19 minutes and 0 seconds for an AMBULANCE SERVICE with an URBAN OR RURAL INDICATOR classification of Rural.

    From 1 October 2004 this detail is not reqired for Category C.

    The response time is the elapsed time from receipt of an emergency call, to the time that the first ambulance arrives at the scene of the incident. The clock starts when the following details about the call have been ascertained (which may be prior to allocation of the despatch code).

    a. caller's telephone number
    b. exact location of the incident
    c. nature of the chief complaint.

    The clock stops when the ambulance arrives at the scene of the incident.

  14. If there have been multiple calls to an incident, count only one call per incident in this line.

  15. Note that both RESPONSE TIME - NON-AMBULANCE and RESPONSE TIME - AMBULANCE count towards the 8 minute standard, but only RESPONSE TIME - AMBULANCE counts towards the 14/19 minute standard.

    16. Part 2: Patient Journeys: Emergency
    Total number of emergency patient journeys (line 07, columns 9-12)

  16. This counts the total number of PATIENT TRANSPORT JOURNEYS made as a result of EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS for each RESPONSE CATEGORY. Each patient conveyed is counted as an individual emergency patient journey. Include any URGENT TRANSPORT REQUESTS, SPECIAL TRANSPORT REQUESTS and PLANNED TRANSPORT REQUESTS which, after interrogation and the agreement of the caller, are treated as EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS.

  17. Column 9 counts the total for Category A.
    Column 10 counts the total for Category B & C combined for the period April to September 2004.
    Column 11 counts the total for Category B from October 2004.
    Column 12 counts the total for Category C from October 2004.

    18. Part 3: Patient Journeys: Urgent

  18. Exclude any URGENT TRANSPORT REQUESTS which, after interrogation and the agreement of the caller, are treated as EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS.

    19. Total number of urgent patient journeys (line 08, column 14)

  19. This counts the total number of PATIENT TRANSPORT JOURNEYS made as a result of URGENT TRANSPORT REQUESTS.

    20. Arrival Time in relation to Requested Arrival Time: Number not more than 15 minutes late (line 09, column 14)

  20. This counts the number of PATIENT TRANSPORT JOURNEYS made as a result of URGENT TRANSPORT REQUESTS, where the difference between the ARRIVAL TIME REQUESTED and the actual ARRIVAL TIME recorded is 15 minutes or less.

    21. Part 4: Patient Journeys: Non-Urgent
    Total number of special/planned journeys (line 10, column 16)

  21. This counts the total number of PATIENT TRANSPORT JOURNEYS made as a result of SPECIAL TRANSPORT REQUESTS and PLANNED TRANSPORT REQUESTS.

  22. Exclude any SPECIAL TRANSPORT REQUESTS and PLANNED TRANSPORT REQUESTS which, after interrogation and the agreement of the caller, are treated as EMERGENCY TRANSPORT REQUESTS or URGENT TRANSPORT REQUESTS .