Cornwall's ambulance service to get iPads to help treat patients faster
It means paramedics will be able to send photos from the scene of an accident straight to the hospital
Emergency ambulance crews across Cornwall and the South West are going to start to use iPads.
It means they will be able to send photos from the scene of an accident, so hospital workers can get straight to treating patients as soon as they arrive.
Tens of thousands of devices will be issued to ambulance crews across the country through the NHS.
The 30,000 devices will allow ambulance crews to send photographs from the scene of an accident so stroke specialists and other clinicians on standby in emergency departments can get straight to work when the patient arrives at hospital.
Paramedics will also be able to access vital health records helping them assess patients’ injuries and decide whether they should be taken to hospital or treated at the scene.
Patient information can also be sent ahead to speed up handovers and free the ambulance up to attend another call.
“Ambulance crews have been at the forefront of the pandemic, routinely dealing with life and death situations and often first on scene to treat and diagnose critically ill patients.
“These devices are another tool for our highly skilled paramedics and ambulance technicians as they continue to respond to the country’s most critically ill and injured patients.
“It is another example of the health service innovating and harnessing technology to improve patient care as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.”
NHS chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens
The NHS Long Term Plan committed to providing staff working in the community with mobile devices and digital services.
The use of iPads has been piloted by ambulance crews in London and the South East, with early results showing how effective having access to vital information or specialist medical advice can be to emergency call outs.