TNAG-1619-FCO40-2228-Executive-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-meet-1987 — Page 112

3.1

STUDY METHOD

The classification of calls into Emergency, Urgent and Routine has been agreed by the ASRSG. In the analysis of operations, emergency and urgent duties have been examined together, with different response criteria applied. The transport of routine cases has been examined separately.

3.2

are

The techniques used in the review of emergency operations described in Section 3 of the Report on Emergency Cover. These are proven methods entailing the development of detailed road networks across the Territory, mapping emergency and urgent calls on these networks and computer analysis to investigate the times taken to reach incidents for a range of deployments and under varied circumstances.

3.3

Routine transport was analysed by compiling a journey matrix according to origin and destination, and determining trip frequencies and loading factors. The potential effect of changes in the pattern and level of demand and in the organisation

of resources to meet these demands were then calculated. This process is described in Section 2(A) of the Report on Routine Services.

3.4

A substantial volume of operational data were gathered during the study. This is presented in the Data Base documents and summarised in the respective previous reports. Some of the main features revealed by the data are outlined in Section 4. All ambulance depots, ambulance stations and fire stations with ambulance vehicles were visited. The main receiving hospitals were also visited. All officers in post at the time of the study were interviewed. Policy guidelines were provided at all stages by the ASRSG.

3.5

Among the most significant policy guidelines are the

following:

о

о

The adoption of the distribution of travel times to incidents as the principal measure of emergency with response times and activation times as secondary

measures.

cover,

Particular focus on a ten minute travel time within which 95 per cent of calls should fall, with comparative examination of alternative targets, particulary eight minutes.

Ambulance crews should eventually be housed in purpose- built accommodation, use of fire stations remaining as a short term arrangement. Smaller non-standard depots should be considered where appropriate.

Routine

services will continue to be provided. including those to geriatric patients attending day hospitals, without any specified restrictions numbers for the foreseeable future.

on

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