Any pathway we put in place, including safe transfer to an appropriate hospital, will need to be safe for our population. Our programme of transformation has been clinically led, specifically to ensure what we propose is safe for our patients.
The term 'golden hour' is not a simple 60 minutes - current maximum travel times differ depending on your condition. Emergency response starts at the point of the call to the ambulance service’s clinical contact centre and the arrival of the emergency crew. Paramedics are highly trained and can often provide the immediate care required to allow the extra journey time for patients to be treated at the most appropriate hospital. Some emergencies would also see the response of clinicians, including consultants, at the scene from the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS Cymru).
We continue to see advances in provision from emergency services in Wales such as the extension of the Wales Air Ambulance to a 24/7 service since July 2020.
By making improvements to our staffing challenges and safety of our specialist services, through the new Urgent and Planned Care Hospital, we will also have more senior, specialist doctors available at the front door so you have quick access to them, and all the support services needed for your care.
By separating planned and emergency care, as we intend to at the new hospital, we will also avoid the risk of emergency activity negatively impacting on planned care, through cancelled operations.