Emergency medical services in the United Kingdom

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Emergency medical services in the United Kingdom (pronunciation: /ɪˈmɜːdʒənsi ˈmɛdɪkəl ˈsɜːvɪsɪz ɪn ðə ˈjuːnaɪtɪd kɪŋdəm/) refers to the public service role that provides acute out-of-hospital care, including transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient believes constitute a medical emergency.

Etymology

The term "Emergency medical services" (EMS) originated in the United States in the early 1970s. In the United Kingdom, the term was adopted to emphasise the dual role of staff in the service, not only providing an ambulance transport service, but also providing on-scene and en-route medical care.

Related Terms

  • Ambulance: A vehicle equipped for taking sick or injured people to and from the hospital, especially in emergencies.
  • Paramedic: A healthcare professional who responds to medical emergencies outside of a hospital.
  • Emergency Department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medical and surgical care to patients arriving at the hospital in need of immediate care.
  • National Health Service: The publicly funded healthcare system in the United Kingdom.

Structure

Emergency medical services in the United Kingdom are provided by the four National Health Services of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Each service is responsible for providing EMS within its geographical area. The services are primarily funded through general taxation.

Training

Training for EMS personnel in the UK varies, but all must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and are, therefore, subject to regulation by this body.

See Also

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.

Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski

Retrieved from "https://wikimd.org/w/index.php?title=Emergency_medical_services_in_the_United_Kingdom&oldid=1498462"