210301 - Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) and NHS Pathways Review

Descriptions

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) operates three control rooms termed Ambulance Operation Centres (AOC) who receive both 999 calls from the public as well as calls from HealthCare Professionals and directly transferred from NHS 111 Providers. Ambulance Trusts utilise one of two approved triage tools to support non-clinical call handlers in the assessment, categorisation and provision of advice in relation to 999 calls. These are known as Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) and NHS Pathways. EEAST utilises MPDS which then requires a separate clinical module and interface to provide the clinical "hear and treat" function. Alongside some Ambulance Trusts for their 999 triage system, NHS 111 Providers also all utilise NHS Pathways. Some Ambulance Trusts provide the NHS 111 function directly in an integrated way with their 999 service (using Pathways for both services). In doing this other ambulance services have taken on a crucial coordination and gatekeeping role by providing coordinated delivery of 111, clinical assessment services and 999 from the point of the call. EEAST has a long-term aspiration to progress towards a similar model in the future. The Trust is therefore seeking to carry out a review of its triage system (MPDS) against the alternative (NHS Pathways) to inform future strategic decision making. The review needs to be completed by 31st March 2021.