Copyright: HARVEY HOOK – CATERS NEWS
It seems simple. Dial 999/112*, give your address and wait for the ambulance. If only!
Calling for an ambulance can be a difficult experience, especially if the situation is stressful or someone you know is injured.
I hope you never have to dial those three digits, but if you do, remember these simple things:
Try to speak clearly
Remember the operator can’t see the situation. They are relying solely on what you tell them, speaking clearly and explaining the situation will help them greatly. Try and give clear and concise answers to the questions they ask.
Know the location
Whilst calls from landlines and public phone boxes can normally be traced by the ambulance service, calls from mobile phones cannot be pinpointed. Try and give the exact location using landmarks and local knowledge if you can.
Following on from this, if possible then always send someone to flag down and meet the ambulance.
Answer questions as best you can
The operator will ask you for your telephone number. This is so that if the line is disconnected they can call you back. They will also ask you for your address and the nature of the emergency.
Then, the operator will go through a list of questions to find out information about the casualty. These questions will include things like “Are they conscious?” and “Are they breathing?”. It’s important that you give the correct information as best you can. If you don’t know the answer, then say so. Answering these questions will not delay the ambulance.
Unlike the films, 999 calls can take time. Be patient with the operator… they are trying their best to help you.
The questions they ask are important as they help the operator assess the severity of the call and send the right level of emergency help.
(For those interested, the system used to categorise calls is called ‘Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System’ or AMPDS for short)
Follow the instructions
The operator is trained to give simple first aid instructions over the phone (such as how to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, on someone who isn’t breathing). Even if you haven’t done any first aid training you can still follow these instructions to help the casualty. Remember, it’s far better to do something than nothing.
Stay with the patient
Always stay with the patient in case their condition changes (for example, they stop breathing or become unconscious). If this happens it’s important that you call 999 again and update the operator.
Staying calm and understanding how to call for help in an emergency situation can save lives.
Knowing basic first aid can save lives. It can also take some time for ambulances to reach critically ill patients, especially in heavy traffic or poor weather conditions. In these situations, knowing lifesaving skills could make all the difference.
- Have you ever had to dial 999?
- Don’t forget to download our free first aid app for everyday first aid advice at your fingertips.
- Want to boost your confidence to help in an emergency? Find out how to book a Red Cross first aid course near you.
*112 is the emergency number for Europe. Dialing 112 anywhere in the Europe Union will put you through to the local emergency services
Sep 24, 2009 @ 09:47:00
There are some fantastic call transcripts available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/nov/29/unpublished-999-call-transcripts
The other thing worth noting is when you dial 999, the first thing you will be asked is what service you require. I’ve often seen people try to describe what’s happened or ask for all of them (e.g. at a fire with casualties or a road crash). Generally if someone is hurt, call the ambulance service first as they are the ones who can advise you how to treat the casualty. If you think the fire brigade or police are also required, mention it after telling the ambulance service the basic details of what has happened. E.g. ‘there has been a car crash on the M1 at xxx junction and 4 people are injured, two are unconscious and remain trapped in their vehicles and one vehicle is on fire, please also alert the fire service and police’
The other thing (which still catches me out despite dialling 999 around once every 2 months) is that once you have requested a service, the control centre you have first spoken to will connect you to the service you require. As part of this process, they usually speak to the ambulance or fire brigade control stating “Connecting phone number 07xxxxxxxxx”. Please wait until the ambulance service staff actually address you and ask what the problem is before talking as it can be confusing if you talk over your phone number
Finally, if you cant speak on the phone, there is a new service where you can text message 999 if registered first. See http://www.emergencysms.org.uk/registering_your_mobile_phone.php for details
Sep 24, 2009 @ 10:47:51
There are some fantastic call transcripts available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/nov/29/unpublished-999-call-transcripts
The other thing worth noting is when you dial 999, the first thing you will be asked is what service you require. I’ve often seen people try to describe what’s happened or ask for all of them (e.g. at a fire with casualties or a road crash). Generally if someone is hurt, call the ambulance service first as they are the ones who can advise you how to treat the casualty. If you think the fire brigade or police are also required, mention it after telling the ambulance service the basic details of what has happened. E.g. ‘there has been a car crash on the M1 at xxx junction and 4 people are injured, two are unconscious and remain trapped in their vehicles and one vehicle is on fire, please also alert the fire service and police’
The other thing (which still catches me out despite dialling 999 around once every 2 months) is that once you have requested a service, the control centre you have first spoken to will connect you to the service you require. As part of this process, they usually speak to the ambulance or fire brigade control stating “Connecting phone number 07xxxxxxxxx”. Please wait until the ambulance service staff actually address you and ask what the problem is before talking as it can be confusing if you talk over your phone number
Finally, if you cant speak on the phone, there is a new service where you can text message 999 if registered first. See http://www.emergencysms.org.uk/registering_your_mobile_phone.php for details
Sep 25, 2009 @ 11:16:00
I once had to call an ambulance after a man in Brixton high street fell over backwards and hit his head. When the operator asked me where we were I told her that but she told me she wasn’t able to log the call until I gave her a full postcode. Luckily the man wasn’t badly hurt as I had to spend five minutes stopping strangers trying to find the postcode before the ambulance could be sent. Is that normal?
Sep 25, 2009 @ 12:16:38
I once had to call an ambulance after a man in Brixton high street fell over backwards and hit his head. When the operator asked me where we were I told her that but she told me she wasn’t able to log the call until I gave her a full postcode. Luckily the man wasn’t badly hurt as I had to spend five minutes stopping strangers trying to find the postcode before the ambulance could be sent. Is that normal?
Sep 25, 2009 @ 15:50:00
Hi Tim,
Some really good comments, thank you! If anyone is interested in listening to some 999 calls then you can here: http://www.secamb.nhs.uk/emergency-ambulance-services (bottom of the page)
Mod,
I’m not sure why the call taker would insist on having a full postcode, they may not have been able to pinpoint exactly where you were based on the information given. I can think of cases where I haven’t known the postcode! I’ll try and find out for you 🙂
Thanks,
Chris
Sep 25, 2009 @ 16:50:37
Hi Tim,
Some really good comments, thank you! If anyone is interested in listening to some 999 calls then you can here: http://www.secamb.nhs.uk/emergency-ambulance-services (bottom of the page)
Mod,
I’m not sure why the call taker would insist on having a full postcode, they may not have been able to pinpoint exactly where you were based on the information given. I can think of cases where I haven’t known the postcode! I’ll try and find out for you 🙂
Thanks,
Chris
Sep 29, 2009 @ 04:02:00
I cant understand why they needed a full postcode from you.. we do need the first part just to get the area but that should have been enough with the right road name..bear in mind though that we cover the WHOLE of Greater London so calltakers cant be familiar with every area..
Also we now get CLI for the vast majority of calls so it’s unusual now for the exchange to pass the callers number verbally.
Finally, don’t worry too much about picking the “correct” service, just speak to one, we do talk to each other.
🙂
Sep 29, 2009 @ 05:02:15
I cant understand why they needed a full postcode from you.. we do need the first part just to get the area but that should have been enough with the right road name..bear in mind though that we cover the WHOLE of Greater London so calltakers cant be familiar with every area..
Also we now get CLI for the vast majority of calls so it’s unusual now for the exchange to pass the callers number verbally.
Finally, don’t worry too much about picking the “correct” service, just speak to one, we do talk to each other.
🙂
Oct 03, 2011 @ 16:44:00
My wife was due to have an urgent heart bypass one Monday and was booked to come in to the hospital on the Sunday morning. On the Saturday night she became very ill and I called an ambulance. They insisted on taking her to a different hospital, our local and, in my opinion, an unsatisfactory hospital in which we have no confidence. They absolutely refused to take her to the hospital she was booked in for the next day
I was afraid that when she got there they would immediately give her blood thinners thus making the operation impossible, even if we could get her to the correct hospital. We took a chance and refused the offer. She survived and had her op.
We were really unhappy about this. What can we do about it next time?
Oct 04, 2011 @ 13:01:00
Hi Quintin. Specific questions or complaints about how emergency calls are responded to should be raised with the local ambulance provider.
Oct 03, 2011 @ 16:44:00
My wife was due to have an urgent heart bypass one Monday and was booked to come in to the hospital on the Sunday morning. On the Saturday night she became very ill and I called an ambulance. They insisted on taking her to a different hospital, our local and, in my opinion, an unsatisfactory hospital in which we have no confidence. They absolutely refused to take her to the hospital she was booked in for the next day
I was afraid that when she got there they would immediately give her blood thinners thus making the operation impossible, even if we could get her to the correct hospital. We took a chance and refused the offer. She survived and had her op.
We were really unhappy about this. What can we do about it next time?
Oct 04, 2011 @ 13:01:00
Hi Quintin. Specific questions or complaints about how emergency calls are responded to should be raised with the local ambulance provider.
Feb 24, 2020 @ 10:01:56
You Never Know When You Are Going To Need An Emergency App.
Pre-Install And Be Ready With MAA (Meddco Ambulance assistance) App https://www.meddcoambulance.com
Feb 25, 2020 @ 16:47:39
Thank you – the British Red Cross agrees and we have an emergency app to download as well on https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/free-emergency-apps.