Performance Information
All ambulance services
in England are rigorously monitored by the Department of
Health.
This ensures that standards are maintained and provides NEAS
with vital information which can be used to improve the services we
offer.
The Department of Health figures that reflect our
performance are called Clinical Quality Indicators.
What are the 11 Clinical Quality
Indicators?
- Outcome from acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction
(STEMI)
STEMI is an acronym meaning 'ST segment elevation
myocardial infarction', which is a type of
heart attack.
- Outcome from cardiac arrest - return of
spontaneous circulation
This indicator will measure how many patients regain
a pulse/heartbeat after suffering a cardiac arrest after being treated by
ambulance staff prior to arrival at hospital.
- Outcome from cardiac
arrest - survival to discharge
Following on from the second indicator, this
will measure the rate of those who recover from cardiac arrest
and are subsequently discharged from hospital.
- Outcome following stroke for ambulance patients
This indicator measures the time between a 999
call being made to a F.A.S.T-positive stroke patient arriving at a
specialist stroke centre so that they can be assessed for treatment
called thrombolysis. Stroke Care
Networks also exist.
- Proportion of calls closed with telephone advice or
managed without transport to A&E (where clinically
appropriate)
This indicator reflects how the whole urgent care system
is working, rather than simply the ambulance service or
A&E. It shows how alternative urgent care destinations
(such as walk-in centres) can sometimes meet the needs of
patients rather than an ambulance.
- Re-contact rate following discharge of care (i.e.
closure with telephone advice or following treatment at the
scene)
Callers can sometimes become anxious if they feel an ambulance is
not arriving quickly enough. A patient may also call again if
a new problem has developed. To make sure ambulance
trusts are providing safe and effective care the first time, every
time, this indicator will measure how many callers or patients call
us back within 24 hours of the initial call being made.
- Call abandonment rate
This indicator can be used to highlight any problems
people may have with getting through after calling 999.
- Time to answer calls
This indicator measures how quickly all 999 calls to
NEAS are answered.
- Service experience
All ambulance services need to be aware of how patients
feel about the treatment the service has provided. This can be done
through patient focus groups and meetings with the local community.
Ambulance services also have to show how they are acting on
the views of patients to improve care.
- Category A 8 minute response time
This indicator measures the speed of all ambulance
responses to the scene of potentially
life-threatening incidents
-
Time to treatment by an ambulance-dispatched health
professional
This indicator measures how quickly
an ambulance-trained healthcare professional arrives at the
scene of an emergency.
You can see how the North East Ambulance Service compares to
other ambulance services in England by viewing the latest Ambulance
Quality lndicators.
