Latest news with #SaveaLifeCymru
Leader Live
30-06-2025
- Health
- Leader Live
Ambulance services in Wales to introduce 'purple' category
From July 1, the Welsh Ambulance Service will introduce a new 'purple' category for people experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The red category will continue to cover life-threatening emergencies involving high risk of cardiac or respiratory arrest. Jason Killens, chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: "Since 1974, the ambulance service has been measured by the time it takes to reach emergency calls. "The ambulance service of today provides much more sophisticated care, so shifting the focus to how many people survive a life-or-death emergency because of our interventions, rather than how many minutes it takes us to arrive, is an important step to reflect that." The new system is aimed at improving survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Wales, which currently stand at less than five per cent. It follows a recommendation from the Senedd's Health and Social Care Committee, which found the existing ambulance response target no longer fit for purpose. From July 1, ambulances will be dispatched as quickly as possible to calls in the new purple category. This covers suspected cardiac and respiratory arrests. The red category will continue to include cases involving serious injury or illness. The expectation is that ambulances will reach these calls within an average of six to eight minutes. For purple calls, the primary measure of success will be the percentage of people who have a heartbeat restored and maintained until arrival at the hospital. Jeremy Miles, cabinet secretary for health and social care, said: "We're taking decisive action to save more lives. "Until now, cardiac arrests have been categorised in the same way as less critical problems like breathing difficulties. "This new approach ensures ambulance teams prioritise people with the most urgent needs. "This targeted clinical response, combined with wider access to defibrillators in the community and improvements to hospital handovers, represents our commitment to improving survival rates." Under the new model, all calls not classified as purple or red will undergo rapid clinical screening to ensure a more tailored response based on symptoms and location. The goal is to provide the most appropriate care for each individual, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Efforts are also underway to reduce ambulance handover times at hospitals. The Welsh Government is developing a plan to achieve a maximum 45-minute handover time, as recommended by the Ministerial Advisory Group on NHS Performance and Productivity. NHS organisations have been given clear targets to improve handovers, supported by a national taskforce focused on emergency department processes and patient flow. READ MORE: Coronation Street's Janice and Leanne Battersby appear in Superman film promo From July, the Welsh Ambulance Service will also host the NHS Wales Save a Life Cymru programme. This programme promotes CPR awareness and aims to improve access to defibrillators in the community. There are currently more than 8,500 registered public access defibrillators across Wales. The Welsh Government has provided £500,000 for an additional 500 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to be placed in community locations. This investment is part of a broader strategy to improve survival rates for people who experience cardiac arrest outside of hospital.
South Wales Argus
29-06-2025
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Welsh ambulance service to introduce new 'purple' category
The Welsh Ambulance Service will launch the changes on Tuesday, July 1, as part of a wider plan to improve patient outcomes and increase survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, which currently stand at less than five per cent in Wales. The changes include a new 'purple' category for cardiac arrests, which takes priority over the existing 'red' category used for other life-threatening emergencies. Jeremy Miles, cabinet secretary for health and social care, said: "We're taking decisive action to save more lives. "Until now, cardiac arrests have been categorised in the same way as less critical problems like breathing difficulties. "This new approach ensures ambulance teams prioritise people with the most urgent needs. "This targeted clinical response, combined with wider access to defibrillators in the community and improvements to hospital handovers, represents our commitment to improving survival rates." The new model follows recommendations from the Senedd's Health and Social Care Committee, which found the current ambulance response target was outdated and not fit for purpose. The revised system shifts the emphasis from response times to patient outcomes. Jason Killens, chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: "Since 1974, the ambulance service has been measured by the time it takes to reach emergency calls. "The ambulance service of today provides much more sophisticated care, so shifting the focus to how many people survive a life-or-death emergency because of our interventions, rather than how many minutes it takes us to arrive, is an important step to reflect that." Calls in the new purple category will be prioritised for the fastest response, with the primary measure being the percentage of patients who have a heartbeat restored before arriving at hospital. Ambulances will still aim to reach purple and red calls within six to eight minutes on average. The Welsh Government has also provided £500,000 for 500 additional defibrillators in community locations to support the new system. From July, the Welsh Ambulance Service will host the NHS Wales Save a Life Cymru programme, which promotes CPR awareness and improves access to defibrillators across the country.
