Innovative way to cut ambulance calls

THE report about the dramatic rise in ambulance call-outs deserves scrutiny (“Union alarm at spike in ambulance calls”, Mercury, August 1). Having worked for 35 years in emergency I know that fewer than half those callouts result in admission to hospital and of the remainder, a small percentage needed facilities only available there, and about 40 per cent are trivial, as stated by the union. For many, an ambulance call is the only option because the GP or specialist is understandably unavailable within an acceptable time frame. Perusal of postcodes suggests most calls are from poorer areas, where facilities are stretched. An innovative national service has contracted with Ambulance Victoria whereby triple-0 calls the controller feels may be solved by putting the patient in touch with an emergency physician has led to a vast reduction in call-outs. The doctor is at home with an app and speaks with the patient and is paid by the ambulance, the sum a small fraction of an emergency call-out. A very small percentage need an urgent ambulance, most are fixed over the phone, with advice, often medication and later GP review, and a few get transport to hospital by their own steam or routine ambulance. Febrile children, minor wounds, backache, chest and urinary infections, sore joints and rashes are helped without costly, time-consuming transport and hospital attendance, and congestion and ramping at the emergency department reduced. Paramedics are freed for true urgent cases and overtime stress reduces.