Response Times for Cardiac Arrest calls attended by Third Party Responders

The request was successful.

Dr Robert S. Coull

Dear Scottish Ambulance Service,

Given the remote nature of much of Scotland’s landmass, there are large areas where the populations served are not within quick reach of a traditiona SAS resource. Those populations often rely upon volunteers such as BASICS responders and Sandpiper Trust Responders (Wildcats etc.) to bring lifesaving equipment quickly to the patient in the event of a cardiac arrest.

Survival from cardiac arrest drops by about 1% every 6 seconds (Resus Council Guidelines, 2015) so patients in need of these ‘third-party’ emergency or first responders rely on the SAS ACCs to dispatch them to cardiac arrests quickly and efficiently.

Please provide the following information:

1. The number of calls classified as cardiac arrest calls at the time of dispatch where a third party responder (BASICS, Wildcat, etc.) was dispatched to the call in the last 12 month period for which data is available.

2. For each call classified at the time of discharge as a cardiac arrest call, provide
(a) the time from the call being received to the call being classified as a cardiac arrest
(b) the time from the call being received to being passed to the third party responder.
(c) the time from the call being received to being passed to a traditional SAS resource (eg: SAS ambulance)
(d) the time from the call being received to the third party responder arriving.
(e) the time from the call being received to the traditional SAS resource arriving.
(f) if the call was a confirmed cardiac arrest nor not after arrival of the resource.

Please provide the data in tabulated form (ie: one row for each call with columns a to f).

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Robert S. Coull

FOI (SCOTTISH AMBULANCE SERVICE),

Dear Dr Coull

Scottish Ambulance Service - Freedom of Information Request - FOI/1165/18

Thank you for your email dated 23 January.  Your request has now been
logged and we aim to respond within 20 working days.

Kind regards

Mark

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FOI (SCOTTISH AMBULANCE SERVICE),

1 Attachment

Dear Dr Coull

Scottish Ambulance Service – Freedom of Information Request – FOI/1165/18

Please find attached the final response to your Freedom of Information
request.  

Kind regards

Mark Bargon

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