Unlike calls from landline telephones, mobile phones do not provide EMS call handlers with a full address, and positional estimates from mobile phone signals can have a margin of error of up to 3000m (approx. 9900 feet) in rural areas. We noticed that mountain casualties attending our Emergency Department in North Wales often struggle to pronounce Welsh-language place names. We wished to determine whether the ability of 999 callers to accurately pronounce (or describe) their location within Snowdonia National Park affected the efficiency with which their location...

Read more

Ambulances can't get up mountains, and air ambulances can't land on steep ground. However, UK ambulance assets are sometimes tasked to inaccessible locations that require a Search & Rescue (SAR) response, e.g. Mountain Rescue Teams (MRT) or hoist-equipped helicopter. We wished to ascertain: (1) The proportion of mountain users aware of correct procedure to call for help in event of a medical emergency in a location inaccessible by road (999>Police>request MRT), and (2) the proportion of UK ambulance services with formal...

Read more