When residents of the Kawarthas region call 9-1-1 for an ambulance, they’ll soon be asked to answer more detailed questions about themselves or the patient needing medical attention.
Peterborough County/City Paramedics, City of Kawartha Lakes Paramedics, Haliburton County Paramedics, and the Lindsay Central Ambulance Communications Centre (which also serves Northumberland Paramedics) are introducing the new system for 9-1-1 medical emergency calls on Wednesday, March 26.
Called the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS), the new 9-1-1 system is part of the Government of Ontario’s “Your Health Plan.”
“(MPDS) will improve efficiency, enhance patient care, and increase paramedic safety,” Trisha Bromfield, Peterborough County/City chief of paramedics, told kawarthaNOW.
“By prioritizing high-acuity patients, paramedics will be dispatched where they are needed most. Additionally, MPDS will reduce the use of lights and sirens for lower-priority calls, minimizing risks and improving overall safety for both paramedics and the public.”
The new system will require 9-1-1 callers to answer a set of more detailed questions regarding the patient’s condition.
VIDEO: Medical Priority Dispatch System
“While paramedics will continue to be dispatched promptly to urgent and life-threatening cases, patients with less urgent or non-life-threatening conditions may experience longer wait times during periods with higher call volumes,” noted a Peterborough County media release about the upcoming launch.
“For less urgent cases, patients will remain under observation through ongoing communication with ambulance communication officers to ensure there is no change in the patient’s condition.”
Northumberland Paramedics chief Susan Brown points out that, under the current system, paramedics are dispatched on a first call, first served basis.
“For example, a child suffering a nosebleed would be prioritized with the same level of response as a senior suffering from cardiac arrest, due to categorization as an ‘uncontrolled bleed’,” Brown explains in a media release. “This limits resources available for critical calls, which can be detrimental in a medical emergency.”
The MPDS will match paramedics with specialized skills and equipment to each case, with the goal of ensuring that non-urgent demand on emergency departments is reduced. The evidence-based system is designed to maintain the highest standards of care while improving the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency services.
“It’s about the right care, to the right people, at the right time,” said Haliburton County paramedics chief Mike Slatter in a joint video posted on YouTube on Tuesday (March 4).
Data from regions already using MPDS has shown notable improvements in key operational challenges, including reduced offload delays at hospitals, better management of meal claims for staff, and decreased end-of-shift overtime.
These improvements are expected to positively impact staff work-life balance, enhancing the overall efficiency of paramedic services.
According to International Academics of Emergency Dispatch, MPDS has been tested over hundreds of millions of calls since 1979. The system includes 36 protocols that are continually updated as per recommendations and research made by top medical professionals and associations.
“MPDS ensures we reach those who need us most first, prioritizing the most critical patients for faster response,” said Kawartha Lakes paramedic chief Sara Johnston in a media release.
What does this mean locally for those who call 9-1-1?
People should continue to call 9-1-1 for life-threatening medical emergencies, especially in cases such as cardiac or stroke symptoms, loss of consciousness, severe bleeding, or trauma.
Callers should be prepared to provide detailed information to ambulance communications officers regarding the patient’s condition and location.
Individuals who call 9-1-1 for non-life-threatening issues may experience longer wait times for service, depending on the patient’s condition and the nature of the emergency. Ambulance communications officers will remain in contact to provide support and monitor the patient’s status.
