Alberta Health Services (AHS) is adding three new vans to their Central Zone resources.
They are two wheelchair-equipped vans and one stretcher-capable multi-patient vehicle. Non-Ambulance Transport (NAT) service will be used or inter-facility transfers, for example transferring a patient from an extended care to a hospital.
In 2015 NAT transported over 12,500 patients in the North, Edmonton, Calgary, South zones of AHS and the new service for the Central Zone is expected to transport over 1400 patients the first year.
AHS has signed an agreement with Associated Ambulances to provide the NAT service beginning January 4, 2016. “We are watching Drumheller and all other communities for response times, as it is a new program.” said Scott Holsworth, Associate Executive Director of the EMS for the Central Zone
“Basic patient transfers do not always require the skills of highly-trained paramedics,” says EMS Senior Program Director and Chief Paramedic, Darren Sandbeck. “While some patients do require advanced care during travel, stable patients can be safely moved by non- ambulance transport vehicles, which frees up other ambulances to respond to emergencies.
These new resources will improve our ability to support stable patients while keeping more ambulances available in communities to provide advanced emergency services that only they can provide.”
