Ambulance handover to emergency care standard V1.0

Summary

Emergency care needs fast, effective sharing of information. When clinicians have access to the information they need, they can better ensure safe and high-quality care for patients. To facilitate this, the Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB) has developed a standard for the information that is shared when care is transferred from ambulances to emergency departments.

Once implemented, the standard for handover will improve continuity of care, as emergency care will have the information they need available to them on a timely basis. Whichever ambulance service brings the patient to the hospital, there will be a consistent set of information available to the emergency department. It means that patient safety will be improved, because emergency care professionals will know what medications have been administered, what diagnostic tests have been done, whether the patient has any allergies and other important information. Sharing clinical information with emergency care will also support professionals in arranging patient discharge and preventing unnecessary admissions.

Content

The PRSB have collaborated with the Royal College of Physicians Health Informatics Unit on this project. Clinical leadership was provided by clinicians from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and the College of Paramedics (CoP). The standard has been developed with the support of professionals and patients.

This resource includes:

The standard

• Information model
• Information model (as Excel spreadsheet)

Documentation

• Ambulance handover standard final report v1.0
• Implementation guidance v1.0
• Clinical Safety Case Report v0.3 - Currently being approved through the NHS Digital Clinical Safety Group
• Hazard log v0.7