title: Prehospital care--a UK perspective.
abstract: In the UK, emergency ambulances are responding to astonishing increases in levels of emergency calls, in the order of a 40% increase nationally in the last 5 years. Pressures in primary care service out-of-hours provision, and increasing community-based care of elderly patients, as well as increased expectation by the public are contributory causes. Services are also being pressed to improve response times, particularly to life-threatening cases. These various aspects are discussed below.
authors.affiliation: Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Ambulance and Paramedic Service NHS Trust, Bedford, UK.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Carney
mesh_terms: D000552:Ambulances / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004517:Education, Professional / Q000592:standards; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000193:education; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D013997:Time Factors; D014218:Triage; D006113:United Kingdom