The London Ambulance Service has begun to use a digital platform to enable the public to stream video from their mobile phones to the control room.
In October it began a 12-month trial with the air ambulance service using the GoodSAM Instant-on-Scene platform – made available through a donation from the company – and is considering the possibilities of rolling it out more widely at the end of the period.
The technology can be used to help paramedics assess serious trauma incidents, decide on what support to provide and if necessary give the caller emergency advice.
The platform provides for the control room medic to ask for permission to access the caller’s mobile phone then send a text with a link which is clicked to send a stream from the camera phone.
It also includes a function to measure a pulse from the video stream and provides the medic with the caller’s location. The call is not recorded.
A spokesperson for London Ambulance told UKAuthority the use of the platform had been considered successful so far.
Making an impact
Dr Fenella Wrigley, chief medical officer for the London Ambulance Service, said: “This technology is ground breaking in London Ambulance Service and is already making an impact helping the most critically injured people in the capital.
“Viewing the scene ‘live’ on video helps ensure specialist resources, like the London’s air ambulance, are sent to where they are needed the most. The technology helps clinicians assess the patient’s condition and enables them to provide medical advice and support whilst ambulance and air ambulance clinical teams are on the way to the scene.
“We will be looking at how in the future we can extend the use of this technology in other areas of our ambulance service to ensure patients get the right care from the right clinician.”
The service said that accurate information is vital in providing an appropriate response. In London, a patient in cardiac arrest has a 50% chance of survival if treated in hospital compared with 9% if treated on the streets.
Image from London Ambulance Service
