NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED FORCE PROCEDURES. Emergency Ambulance Escorts. Procedure Review Date: March 2010

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1 FORCE PROCEDURES Emergency Ambulance Escorts Procedure Reference Number: Procedure Author: Inspector B Rogers, Roads Policing Procedure Review Date: March 2010 At the time of ratifying this procedure, the author is satisfied that this document complied with relevant legislation and Force requirements. Sign and date INSPECTOR BRIAN ROGERS, 21/03/2007 (Author(s)) Ambulance Escorts Published NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED 1

2 Procedure Index ELECTRONIC NAVIGATION: - move the cursor over the page number in the index or blue underlined text until a hand appears. Click the left mouse button once and it will jump to the specified part of the document. 1. Responsibilities Guidance...3 Requests from Regional Health Authorities at the Scene of an Incident to Transfer an Injured Person to Hospital for Emergency Treatment...3 Requests from Regional Health Authorities to Transfer Patients from One Hospital to Another...4 General Provisions...4 Requests from Other Outside Organisations Procedure Aim Appeals Review...7 Ambulance Escorts Published NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED 2

3 1. Responsibilities NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED 1.1 The Chief Superintendent, Uniform Operations is responsible for the development and monitoring of the procedure. 1.2 See Section 2 for additional roles and responsibilities. 2. Guidance Requests from Regional Health Authorities at the Scene of an Incident to Transfer an Injured Person to Hospital for Emergency Treatment 2.1 We will only provide an escort in the following circumstances: When a qualified medical practitioner or a regional ambulance service paramedic makes the request to the senior police officer at the scene, and they do so on the basis that the injured person's condition is such that: (a) There is an urgent need to transfer the patient to hospital as soon as possible for emergency treatment. OR (b) It is vital that the journey to hospital is a slow, uninterrupted and smooth one. AND The senior police officer at the scene is of the opinion that: (a) An escort will result in either a cut in the journey time or make the slow journey smoother and safer. (b) The additional police resources required to undertake the escort safely (may take more than one resource), will still leave sufficient police resources to protect the scene and investigate the incident. AND The ambulance crew have sought and received the approval of their Duty Control Room Manager. 2.2 If all these factors are not met then the escort will be refused. 2.3 The decision to provide such an escort will rest with the senior police officer at the scene, which on many occasions will be a Constable, who before making the decision must consult and seek the advice of the Force Incident Manager within the Resource Deployment Centre. Ambulance Escorts Published NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED 3

4 Requests from Regional Health Authorities to Transfer Patients from One Hospital to Another 2.4 The only requests that will be considered are those made by the Duty Control Manager at any Regional Ambulance Service Headquarters, direct to our Force Incident Manager. 2.5 It must be confirmed that the Duty Ambulance Control Manager prior to making such a request has taken into account the following factors: The medical condition as related by medical staff. The time of day/night. Knowledge of road conditions between the two hospitals, i.e. road works. The distance between the hospitals. Time delay factors in arranging such escorts i.e. will it be sometime before a police escort can be provided, and the ambulance is at the hospital waiting to move off. 2.6 Requests for ambulance escorts will, in the main, be for the following reasons: Where a seriously injured or ill patient needs to arrive at a hospital as soon as possible, and it is known that delays are likely due to traffic/road conditions, such as road works or the sheer volume of slow moving traffic. Where a seriously injured or ill patient requires a slow smooth and uninterrupted passage to a hospital. Were urgent medical supplies/transplants organs/blood are required at a hospital. Piloting of an ambulance on an emergency call where the driver does not know the location of the hospital, or is passing through the county and is unfamiliar with the road network. 2.7 The decision to provide a police escort will rest with the Force Incident Manager in the Resource Deployment Centre, who will need to consider all the above factors, and it will be subject to sufficient police resources being available to undertake the escort. Details should be recorded regarding the outcome of this decision making process. 2.8 In the main the test to apply is, will a police escort be of any benefit either by: (a) Cutting the journey time. OR (b) Making a slow journey smoother and safer. If not then the request should be refused. General Provisions 2.9 Only advanced trained officers in appropriately liveried vehicles will undertake an escort In most cases where a request has been approved it will be sufficient for just one patrol to give assistance, and it will not be necessary for junctions to be manned enroute. Ambulance Escorts Published NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED 4

5 2.11 Officers who provide escort must, where possible, prior to commencing the escort, fully establish the type of escort required (i.e. a fast or slow moving journey), to save any misunderstanding Slow moving ambulances using the motorway, in Cheshire, will be escorted from the rear Where the Motorway Unit, in Cheshire, are called upon to assist an ambulance through road works, they will meet or collect the ambulance from a nominated interchange which will be the one prior to the road works which have to be negotiated Where there is a requirement to hand over the escort of an ambulance to an another force the Force Incident Manager will communicate with his/her counterpart in that force and arrange a suitable hand-over point. The Force Incident Manager will notify the Force Incident Manager of the receiving force of the type of escort i.e. slow or fast, its proposed route and final destination and an ETA to the hand-over point. This should be done at the earliest opportunity to allow the relevant force to dedicate sufficient resources to continue and maintain the continuity of the escort and to amend the route should local circumstances/ events dictate a change All officers undertaking such escorts must be constantly aware that the safety of both themselves, the ambulance crew and patient, together with other road users must not be compromised. Requests from Other Outside Organisations 2.16 The procedure outlined has been formulated to cover requests made by recognised Regional Ambulance Services, it does not apply to private ambulance services or to private organisations transporting such items as human organs for transplant. These organisations are not regulated in any way and the quality of the drivers and vehicles cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, unless in the case of escort from incident to hospital the Senior Police Officer at the scene, or in the case of escort between hospitals the Resource Deployment Centre Force Incident Manager are completely satisfied that it is safe to escort any vehicles belonging to such organisations, and that to do so would fall within the procedure outlined above, a police escort should not be provided In writing this document it is accepted that not every eventuality can be catered for, and there will always be unique/special circumstances under which a request is made. On these occasions only the Resource Deployment Centre Force Incident Manager will have the discretion, having considered all the facts, to grant or refuse permission for a police escort to be provided The North West Ambulance Service has been made aware of the contents of this document. Ambulance Escorts Published NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED 5

6 3. Procedure Aim NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED 3.1 This procedure is directed towards the provision of police escorts for emergency ambulances travelling on all types of roads within the county. 3.2 Requests for the police to provide an ambulance escort predominantly fall into two main categories and these are: To transfer a seriously injured patient from the scene of an incident to an Accident and Emergency Hospital for treatment. To transfer a patient from one hospital to another. 3.3 By assisting the Ambulance Service when called upon to do so the force is carrying out one of its primary roles that of the protection of life and property and it is felt that in doing this our involvement is considered justified and is a proportionate response to the scale and nature of the incidents involving such escorts. Cheshire Police is fundamentally committed to making the most effective use of the emergency equipment at its disposal in accordance with the law and the following legitimate aims: In the interests of public safety. The prevention of crime and disorder The protection of health or morals, and The protection of the rights and freedoms of others. 3.4 The procedure aims to introduce clear directives and guidance to ensure that: - All officers are aware of the scope of the procedure as it relates to the police escort of emergency ambulances. Senior police officers at the scene of incidents are aware of the criteria to be considered before utilising police resources on an emergency ambulance escort. Force Information Managers are aware of the criteria to be considered before utilising police resources on an emergency ambulance escort when a request is received via the Regional Health Authority to provide an escort from hospital to hospital. Force Incident Managers are aware that they can also use their discretion to grant or refuse permission to provide a police escort for an emergency ambulance, dependent upon unique or special circumstances which might be outside the scope of the document criteria. 3.5 On the occasions when we are requested to assist the Regional Health Authorities with the escort of emergency ambulances our involvement with this task is considered necessary, reasonable and proportionate in order to: Enhance public safety and reassurance. For the protection of health or morals. For the protection of the rights and freedoms of others. 3.6 In promoting the procedure it will also allow officers to continue to fulfil their role: To ensure public safety is maintained. To prevent crime and disorder. To ensure the rights and freedoms of others. Ambulance Escorts Published NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED 6

7 3.7 These aims being in accordance with the Common Law duties of the police in respect of a duty of care, to prevent and detect crime, maintain the Queen s Peace etc. and their powers in respect of domestic UK Law. 4. Appeals 4.1 In respect of internal grievance of the existing management structure of the force and the formal grievance procedures together with an appeals facility/right to make representation will cater for any such issues. As regards external complaints civil remedies are available with appellate facilities in addition to an individual's rights under the Police Complaints and Misconduct Procedures under the guardianship of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). 4.2 Persons affected by the exercise of powers, directives or actions under this document have the right to make representations and / or challenges and / or appeals to the decisions involved via judicial processes (e.g. Civil law) and / or nonjudicial processes (e.g. internal management, grievance or police complaint procedures). 4.3 A person who claims that a public authority has acted (or proposes to act) in a way which is unlawful under the Human Rights Act 1998, may bring proceedings against the authority under the Act in the appropriate court or tribunal. Or the person may rely on the Convention right or rights concerned in any legal proceedings if they are a victim (or would be) of the alleged unlawful act. 5. Review 5.1 This procedure will be formally reviewed after 3 years to consider: Its effectiveness in the business area concerned Any changes to legislation Challenges to the procedure Any identified inefficiencies in relation to implementation Impact on diversity and equality (High/Medium/Low on the Race Diversity Impact Assessment Template) Ambulance Escorts Published NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED 7