4.1
in
DATA GATHERED
presented
Much of the data gathered during the study are the separately produced Data Base document. This document provides a profile of present services. Relevant data used the analysis of emergency and routine operations are given in the respective reports. Appendix 2 summarises resource and demand statistics.
4.2 Most data were derived from a one month sample. July 1985 was selected for its representative level and pattern of demand. Longer term and shorter term data were also obtained. Thus trends in
demand over recent years were determined and routine transport was broken down in great detail for two weekdays and two weekends.
4.3
The following are some of the relevent general features of the service as indicated by these data:
О
O
о
O
Ambulance Command responded to an average of 639 emergency and urgent calls per day - 267 in Kowloon, 212 in the New Territories and 160 in Hong Kong.
An average of 595 routine patients per transported in an average of 283 trips.
weekday were
These services were supplied by 150 and 75 three man crews on duty in the day and night shifts respectively, operating as a single tier (plus 10 Monday to Saturday).
two
man crews
They were based at 13 purpose-built ambulance depots, 5 ambulance stations and 14 fire stations, with standby at four further locations.
95 per cent of emergency calls had travel times within 15 minutes. Although activation times are not monitored directly, they were estimated to average three minutes.
Routine services other than for geriatric day transport are provided on an unscheduled, ad hoc basis on request. The loading factor is an average of 2.1 patients per journey. Demand occurs almost
exclusively between 9am and 6pm.
Emergency calls have increased fairly steadily at average rate of 8% per year over the last thus doubling between 1975 and 1985.
an
ten
years,
о
Routine work has almost doubled in the last five years and could increase at the same rate through the five years. Demand for transport to geriatric hospitals could increase by a factor of three in period.
next
day
this
4