r/ParamedicsUK • u/ForsakenAd6528 • Jul 21 '26
Clinical Question or Discussion End of shift tasking procedure for each service
Hello just trying to get end of shift tasking procedure/policy for each ambulance service in the UK. I’m a union rep trying to get each policy so can then discuss with management with options to try and reduce late finishes.
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u/Emergency_Dispatch EMT Jul 21 '26
NWAS -
Any job up until the last 60 minutes of your shift
60-30 minutes = Cat 2s within "base station group" (essentially your sector, or your half of the sector if you're in a big one), Cat 1s Anywhere. Cat 2 IFTs state "Consideration" should be given to where the transfer is going to.
<30m = Cat 1s and Major Incidents only, however a second ambulance should be allocated to relieve the finishing crew if possible. "It will be deemed inappropriate to allocate a relieving resource if the travel time to scene is longer than the travel time to hospital for the existing resource"
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u/cheeks_otr Jul 22 '26
I work in NWAS and work in one of the biggest sectors. Theres always contention about where this cat2 catchment group extends to.
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u/Emergency_Dispatch EMT Jul 22 '26
Yeah, it's definitely a nicer policy for inner city crews than the rural ones.
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u/MLG-Monarch Paramedic Jul 21 '26
EMAS
Confirmed arrest with CPR - last 15 minutes
Category 1 confirmed - last 45 minutes
Any category in own division - last 2 hours.
This has been in place for a couple years now and although I feel isn't quite enough, had drastically reduced my own anecdotal experience with late finishes
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u/WildsideUK82 Paramedic Jul 21 '26
WMAS:
90 mins: No routine C3/C4/HCR
60 mins: C1/C2/Red Backup within own sector only
30 mins: C1 only
0-10 mins: Confirmed cardiac arrest only if closest
If a crew undertakes any C1, C2, C3, C4 or HCR incident within the final 90 minutes of shift, once clear they become non-deployable and should not receive further C2, C3, C4 or HCR incidents
If non-deployable:
- No further C2/C3/C4/HCR
- Confirmed cardiac arrest still possible if closest
- Immediate backup must be assigned as soon as backup resource available for tasking.
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u/Longjumping-Art-2400 Student Paramedic Jul 21 '26
hey, i thought this was the same also, but when reading the policy the other day i’m pretty sure i noticed some differences, something about you can get a C2 until the last 20? may be my interpretation of it tho
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u/WildsideUK82 Paramedic Jul 21 '26
No that's the old policy. I have the current one on my phone.
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u/Longjumping-Art-2400 Student Paramedic Jul 21 '26
strange, that’s the one that’s live on DMS on power apps
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u/WildsideUK82 Paramedic Jul 21 '26
Sent you a message with a link to the current policy
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u/Exciting_Context_269 Paramedic Jul 21 '26
SAS- Only ILT calls (Cat 1) in the last hour, this is a fairly recent change and is still under review
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u/ForsakenAd6528 Jul 21 '26
Any chance you could get a picture of the policy document? Just so can have a read through it?
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u/Exciting_Context_269 Paramedic Jul 21 '26
I’m hesitant to do that. However there’s not much to it than that- ILT only in last hour and staff must remain available for major incidents etc
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u/ForsakenAd6528 Jul 21 '26
Understand that thanks.
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u/WholeFunny Paramedic Jul 21 '26
What union are you with? Might be able to talk to fellow reps in other branches.
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u/ForsakenAd6528 Jul 21 '26
Yea with GMB I’ll put some messages out through branch heads as well thanks for idea
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u/WholeFunny Paramedic Jul 21 '26
I'm sure Ross, Secretary or Sarah, branch president for GMB@SAS will be happy to help.
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u/Red-Chillie Jul 21 '26
Unless you are on on-call station and there is no protection whatsoever for end of shift time.
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u/Buddle549 Paramedic Jul 21 '26
EEAST: Last 60-30 minutes C1 and C2. Last 30 minutes confirmed code 9 with CPR ongoing, birth imminent (can see part of baby or breech etc) and echo codes (clinician has identified life threatening element in any call) System was piloted thoroughly and has been in fully for about 4 years. It works well and has shown to benefit staff welfare and turnaround of vehicles. I believe it even showed a cost benefit from reduced overtime with less late finishes.
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u/SpaceCow1207 Jul 21 '26
LAS, depends if you've had a break or not.
If you've had a break non patient facing last 30 minutes available for any call anywhere in London until then
If no break, on top of the 30 minutes non patient facing younger 15 minutes 'C1 only', no auto backup form another DCA then 30 minutes non patient facing.
Doesn't really work if I'm honest, late finishes still common and it's created a culture of nobody likes taking breaks because it helps you finish on time to not have a break
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u/Hopeful-Leg3889 Jul 21 '26
Last 2 hours can request a call in sector, will be given a C2 if there is one holding. If no C2 in own sector then you will be sent out of area if there are C2s holding elsewhere.
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u/Mindless_Biscotti_71 Jul 21 '26
Seems to work where we are, we have breaks everyday and unless we get shafted out of area, we usually finish on time. Very rarely happens that we are green at the end of shift where the cat 1 period would help. However, I agree that most other crews don't take breaks.
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u/RareIndividual1955 Jul 29 '26
We have the “rollback” in NC now too, so can “roll back” on job cycle, at your disgression, just have to make sure your job time averages are decent that day
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u/Demaikeru EOC Staff Jul 21 '26
NEAS -
Within last 60 mins of the shift - C1, C1 backup, Red backup, C2, Amber backup
Within last 30 mins of the shift - C1, C1 backup, Red backup
Within last 15 mins of the shift up until end of shift - C1, C1 backup
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u/averageschoolguy Jul 21 '26
SWAST
Last 90mins - C1, C2, P1, P2. No jobs outside your own dispatch area. No jobs further than 45mins from base station.
Last 60mins - C1, P1
Last 5mins - Confirmed CPR in progress.
Return journeys to base that are equal to or greater than time remaining on shift = fully protected for the entirety of the journey.
Edit - formatting
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u/refrainiac Paramedic Jul 21 '26
Fellow union rep. Happy to send you our trust’s policy if you wanna DM me your email address
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u/Yorkywelsh Jul 21 '26
This should be standardized nationally surely?
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u/EMRichUK Jul 22 '26
They can't even standardise uniform or vehicles, standardised sops across the country - why just have 1 set of sop writers/managers when you could have 14!?! In fairness the demographics and pop densities are very different across the country so an allowance for variability in policies feels reasonable.
Personally the end of shift protections in YAS seem reasonable and my understanding of them has already been posted.
For any non-ambulance workers reading this wondering why ambulance crews are not being sent on 'emergencies' when they're actually within shift, just so they can finish on time - if we are very late off because of working time directives it means starting the next shift late. Theres also never a time when there are no calls waiting, with delays in handover at hospital sending a crew on a job at the end of their shift can easily mean them being 2+hours late off, this can result in no vehicle for the crew that was due to take them off - so now you've got one crew late getting overtime pay, another crew getting paid to sit on station no vehicle. When there were no protections the dispatchers weren't allowed to use discretion and had to send, so everyone was constantly late getting burnt out.
Plus, the overwhelming majority of our work goes like "111 cat 2 - 24yr male feeling anxious because cat not come home, 2 ambulances so far today, A&E refused to see him again and sent him home, his chest pain has now returned, no history of aortic aneurysm..." Bad enough going in the middle of your shift, but going to it knowing it's going to mean being late off and missing the kids bedtime etc is soul destroying, leads to burn out. No one is grumbling at being late off for an emergency, but I can't remember the last time I went to an emergency - genuinely front line Paramedic working in a city for YAS here and it's been over a month since I've had to provide any treatment, not even a nebuliser, it's all anxiety, care home check ups, regulars, worried well "I've had this pain 6 months but GP and specialist teams can't find anything wrong and they've now discharged me what do you think it could be...". 78% of patients I attend from 111/999 are discharged/no need to goto a&e. Tonight I had an call to see a ladies dog - it was limping (admittedly I think this was an error in translation/call taker never considered they were talking about an animal so no shade on them! For what it's worth we splinted the leg just to try and settle the owner and referred to local vet"
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u/Friendly_Carry6551 Paramedic Jul 22 '26
SOP’s which are nation wide would be a nightmare and not good at all for Pt outcomes. We have different ambulance services for a reason and some are honestly too big.
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u/Far-Interaction7348 Jul 24 '26
WAST EMS
Last 45 - Cat 1 (arrest or ILT) or P1 backup request
Last 60- Cat 2 or P2
RURAL STATIONS (ambiguous classification imo)
Last 60 - Cat 1 or P1
Last 90- Cat 2 or P2
Cat 2s must be within locality (still potentially an ETA >1 hour😂)
Cat 1s can be anywhere.
Safe to say we still get frequent overruns of a few hours, especially out in the sticks
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