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<p>NHS England advice that there are a range of interventions to address increased
waiting time for ambulances in Dorset. These measures aim to improve the flow of patients
through accident and emergency departments, reduce waiting times and delays in the
transfer of patients from ambulances and allow crews to respond to calls more efficiently.</p><p>This
includes the earlier identification of patients needing complex discharge support
and ensuring multi-disciplinary engagement in the discharge plans to increase bed
capacity. An expected date of discharge is determined within 48 hours of admission.
The operation of transfer of care hubs is being streamlined and demand and capacity
modelling for local and community systems is being developed.</p><p>NHS England has
allocated an additional £150 million for ambulance service pressures in 2022/23, supporting
improvements to response times through additional call handler recruitment, retention
and other funding requirements. A further £20 million has been invested in the upgrade
of the ambulance fleet by reducing its age profile and fuel emissions while increasing
productivity and capacity. Additionally, St John Ambulance has been contracted to
deliver auxiliary ambulance services, providing national surge capacity of at least
5,000 hours per month as needed to support the ambulance response during periods of
increased pressure, allowing National Health Service ambulance crews to respond to
emergency calls.</p><p> </p>
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