The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) is fully supportive of the vision and aims of the NHS Five Year Forward View and, on behalf of its members, has worked closely with NHS England in the development of the Safer, Better, Faster guidance that they will be issuing soon.
The Nine High Impact Actions listed in Appendix A of the letter to System Resilience Group (SRG) Chairs on 11th August 2015 all form part of the implementation programme in support of these aims, the combined desired effect being to transform delivery of NHS Urgent and Emergency Care.
While AACE believes the actions recognise the extensive role that ambulance services have to play in this transformation, AACE believes that additional funding will be required for ambulance services to be able to deliver them fully. This funding would support provision of new clinical models of care and enhanced services from ambulance services.
All NHS Ambulance Trusts are working with their commissioners and partner providers to continue to develop many of the actions listed, some of which are already in place, and introduce others as part of their longer term, five year strategies. This includes workforce planning to build capacity and develop the appropriate skill mixes to support different ways of working.
AACE is confident that ambulance services can help enable a shift in the balance of care away from acute hospitals, and particularly Emergency Departments, not just during winter when pressures are highest, but on a permanent basis, by delivering more treatment in the home and in community settings, as well as providing clinical advice over the phone.
Ambulance staff are already working alongside other health & social care professionals to provide integrated, patient-focused care, making increasing use of multi-disciplines within their clinical hubs in ambulance control rooms and alternative referral pathways.
AACE has also been working with Health Education England to create a more structured and standardised framework for education and career pathways for ambulance clinicians. Specialist and advanced paramedic practitioners are already capable of undertaking home visits on behalf of GPs and do so across much of the country.
