Alberta Health Services is disputing suggestions by the Foothills Regional Emergency Services Commission this week that patient care is at risk as a result of changes to the way AHS dispatches ambulances calling them "absolutely not true".

In a news release, the local commission said AHS’ provincial dispatch model is causing response delays and threatening patient safety.

AHS says there's no evidence to support that.

They do say they understand the stress communities can experience when they feel their care may have been compromised.

AHS says they've offered to meet with FRESC, and are reaching out to other community leaders, to help better understand their concerns and to allow them to explain how the province-wide dispatch system is designed to improve access to EMS services across Alberta.

Since 2009, AHS says it's been improving the way ambulances are dispatched. Today, a province-wide system supports every ambulance in every community using state-of-the-art technology and the most up-to-date medical protocols.

They say this allows us to ensure calls are answered quickly and, because specially trained emergency communications officers can see every ambulance in real time, they can also send the closest available unit to every emergency. It’s a very similar system to the way RCMP is dispatched to public safety emergencies across the province.

A "Behind The Headlines" report goes on to say "Millions of events have been successfully supported since this transition and our publicly reported time to dispatch data shows that we consistently dispatch ambulances in less than 90 seconds, 90 per cent of the time and in less than 45 seconds, 50 per cent of the time.

We are always looking for ways to improve the care we provide which is why we review every issue brought to our attention.

It’s important to understand that the only change to dispatch services in FRESC’s coverage area relates to the medical first response (MFR) support – such as firefighters who attend some medical calls alongside EMS staff - not ambulances. EMS responds to every medical emergency but MFR partners, like fire departments, support us by providing on-scene assistance when required.

Prior to the transition to the provincial model, FRESC was notified every time an ambulance was dispatched in their coverage area. Today, AHS ECOs determine if MFR support is required first, based on the types of calls our MFR partners have agreed to support. As a result, FRESC is only notified when MFR is required to support EMS.

We know that local fire services are vital resources in the community and this process helps us ensure they are being used appropriately.
AHS EMS values its partnerships with these agencies. If there is a way to improve this part of the process, we will do it.

In the meantime, we assure all Albertans that your health and safety is our top priority. We are incredibly proud of the work our EMS practitioners do in your communities and we will continue to work with our emergency partners to ensure you get the best possible care every time you."

Questions, comments, or story ideas? Email us at news@okotoksonline.com