Around 18,000 ambulance journeys have been avoided in the past four months thanks to the Scottish Ambulance Service’s new Integrated Clinical Hub (ICH).
The ICH, launched only one year ago, is co-located with the SAS ambulance control centres in the west, north and east of Scotland and is made up of a multidisciplinary team of clinical advisors, advanced practitioners and GPs.
It provides assessments for all patients who are initially triaged as non-immediately life threatening and may benefit from a further virtual consultation and referral to other services in the community, rather than unnecessary trips to A&E.
Latest data shows that 64,000 patients have been assessed by the ICH since August 2023.
Michael Dickson, Chief Executive of Scottish Ambulance Service said: “For those patients that require an ambulance, such as immediately life-threatening conditions, we will always dispatch the most appropriate resource.
“However, our data shows that nearly 50% of our patients don’t require transfer to A&E and can be better treated in other ways, such as in the home, in the community or through specialist services.
“The ICH plays a vital part in carrying out advanced assessment of these patients to identify their clinical needs to ensure they receive the best possible response for their condition.
“As we head into a challenging winter period, the hub is a vital tool in helping us free up vital capacity to attend our sickest patients whilst also reducing the demand at the A&E front door by utilising regional and national pathway alternatives.
“To help our staff over the coming weeks, we also would like to remind people that if you need urgent care, but it’s not life-threatening, you can call NHS 24 on 111, day or night, or your GP during opening hours.”
Health Secretary Michael Matheson said: “The Scottish Ambulance Service is the heartbeat of our NHS. It has a unique role in engaging with all parts of the health and social care system across the whole of Scotland, 24 hours a day. That is why the Scottish Government has provided £50 million to support the ambulance service with recruitment this year.
“This investment has helped add 18 clinicians to the new Integrated Clinical Hub (ICH) and I am encouraged by the strides the hub has taken over its inaugural year in managing capacity.
“We are no doubt facing a challenging winter ahead but I’m reassured by the service’s proactive preparations and it is initiatives such as the ICH that are helping to ensure patients receive appropriate care at home or in the community, alleviating pressures on our already busy A&Es.
“I know many Scottish Ambulance Service staff will be missing out on precious time with friends and family to make sure patients receive the care and treatment they need over winter, and I’d like to thank them for their tremendous work and dedication.”
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