Faster ambulance responses times

Islanders are experiencing better access to emergency health services through improved ambulance response times.

As of June 30, the average ambulance response time across the province is 8 minutes and 23 seconds, an improvement from 9 minutes and 12 seconds as reported three months previous. The total number of pre-hospital 9-1-1 ambulance calls increased from 2,777 to 2,835 during this same time period.

“Ambulance services are important to Islanders and it is encouraging to see new data that shows ambulance response times are improving even while call volumes are increasing, ” said Health and Wellness Minister Robert Henderson. “Through recent investments in an additional ambulance and new computerized dispatch technology, IEMS is now able to strategically locate ambulances where they are needed most, making the best possible use of these health care resources."

An additional ambulance was added to the provincial fleet in February and has been assigned to the St. Peter’s area to help address response times in Kings County and Charlottetown areas. Last October, Island EMS began using a new Computer Assisted Dispatch (CAD) software, capturing the geo-locations of all active ambulances across the province at any given time, as well as response times, call volumes and the nature of calls. This has allowed Island EMS to adjust and move ambulance resources to where they are needed at any given time.

“We have been working very closely with Island EMS to provide Islanders with timely access to high quality emergency health services when they need it most,” says James Sullivan, Health PEI Director of Emergency Health and Planning Services. “Since 2008, we’ve seen a steady increase in the number of 9-1-1 calls requiring an ambulance response, most of which is due to better education and awareness of when to call for emergency help. We are very pleased to see that, with the additional resources announced only a few short months ago, ambulance response times have already improved, ensuring Islanders are getting the emergency care they need sooner.”

Response times (in minutes)

for each of the six ambulance coverage zones as collected through the CAD system from April 1 through June 30, 2016 are:

•    Souris region – 125 calls with an average response time of 8:06 (compared to 98 calls and an 11:51 average response time as of March 31)

•    Montague region – 267 calls with an average response time of 11:32 (compared to 235 calls and a 12:24 average response time as of March 31)

•    Charlottetown region –1,482 calls with an average response time of 8:37 (compared to 1,548 calls and an 8:50 average response time as of March 31)

•    Summerside region – 639 calls with an average response time of 7:11 (compared to 589 calls and a 7:23 average response time as of March 31)

•    O’Leary region – 147 calls with an average response time of 11:45 (compared to 120 calls and a 10:20 average response time as of March 31)

•    Alberton region – 175 calls with an average response time of 11:29 (compared to 187 calls and an 11:51 average response time as of March 31)

The top five most common ambulance call types for the province during this same period are general malaise, falls, breathing problems, chest pain and traffic collisions.

For quarterly reports, visit Ambulance Response Times.

Media contact:
Amanda Hamel
Health PEI
(902) 368-6135
ajhamel@gov.pe.ca