Welsh Ambulance Service’s control rooms recognised among best in the world after Accredited Centre of Excellence award

The Welsh Ambulance Service have been re-awarded Accredited Centre of Excellence status for the quality of service delivered in its Clinical Contact Centres. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The accolade, awarded by the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch, celebrates control rooms which use the Medical Priority Dispatch System to process and prioritise 999 calls. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

More than half a million 999 calls are processed every year from the service’s three emergency Clinical Contact Centres in Conwy, Carmarthenshire and Torfaen. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Lee Brooks, Director of Operations, said: “Our Clinical Contact Centre colleagues are the beating heart of our emergency ambulance service and we’re thrilled that they’ve been recognised for their commitment to excellence. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“Every day these colleagues save lives through the advice that they give to callers and their attention to detail in getting help to patients when they need it. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“Their calm and compassionate handling of calls enables them to give instruction before an ambulance arrives. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“This is a fantastic recognition of the high quality of our 999 call taking teams within the Welsh Ambulance Service.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

There are more than 3,000 emergency medical dispatch centres using the Medical Priority Dispatch System worldwide, managing around 65 million incidents per year. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Only 250 have achieved accreditation as a Centre of Excellence, and only eight countries in the world – including Wales – have been completely accredited. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Organisations must meet a rigorous set of criteria to gain accreditation, after which they are recognised as one of the most elite agencies in the world. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Lee added: “Centre of Excellence accreditation is the highest honour that our centres can receive and signals to the public and our people our commitment to excellent care and service. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“Everybody in our Clinical Contact Centres should be very proud of this achievement.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

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