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Calling 999 for an ambulance

When you dial 999, you are connected to an operator who asks "Which service do you require?" You respond with "Ambulance," and the operator transfers your call to the local ambulance service. A trained Emergency Call Handler (ECH) answers the call and begins gathering key information:

• A full postcode for the address you are in. This is the best way to establish your location.
• If you are in the street: give road junctions or look for a door number of a nearby property. Give the first part of the postcode to fix where you are which is often on road name street signs. 
• Landmarks can help but remember the ECH is located in a control room that covers all of London - so saying “outside the Tesco's on the High Street" is not going to help. Give a road name, first part of the postcode.
• Use https://what3words.com available on iOS/ Android.

Triage and prioritisation
An assessment or triage system is used to determine the severity of the situation. Calls are prioritised as follows:

• Category 1: Life-threatening emergencies, eg: cardiac arrest, severe trauma
• Category 2: Serious conditions requiring urgent attention, eg: heart attack, stroke
• Category 3: Less urgent conditions, eg: abdominal pain, minor injuries
• Category 4: Non-urgent, often directed to alternative non-critical care pathways

Depending on the category, the dispatcher assigns resources, such as a paramedic team or an emergency response vehicle

Immediate instructions in critical situations
If a patient is not breathing, for example, the dispatcher provides real-time instructions designed to stabilise the patient until the ambulance arrives. This may include performing CPR (chest compressions), managing choking or severe bleeding, and using a defibrillator (if one is available).

Ambulance response despatch and on-site care
This includes a rapid response vehicle (which may arrive before the ambulance), paramedics equipped to provide advanced life support, and specialist teams if needed for incidents like major trauma. The time to arrival depends on the urgency though Category 1 targets aim for a response within 7 minutes. Upon arrival, paramedics assess and treat the patient. Treatment could include administering oxygen or medication, performing advanced life support, managing wounds or fractures. If necessary, the patient is transported to the nearest appropriate hospital for further treatment.

When the police arrive as well, or arrive first
Calling an ambulance can save lives. Ensuring friends get the right medical help if they need it is the top priority. However, there are times when an ambulance is not called because guys are fearful the police will turn up as well which could lead to arrest and investigation. Should an police officer see baggies, bottles and paraphernalia at a chems party responding to a 999 call, it’s their job to uphold the law, not ignore potential evidence they think they may see.