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Casualty patients will be graded before they are taken to hospital to speed up their treatment in an overhaul of emergency care in London.
The more severely injured patients will receive treatment at 24-hour emergency "supercentres" while less serious cases will go to their local A&E departments.
The £12million scheme, which will create the largest trauma system of its kind in the world, should save 500 lives a year, according to Healthcare for London.
Four key sites will handle victims of serious incidents such as gun crime and traffic accidents.
The centres have been named as St Mary's in Paddington, the Royal London in Whitechapel, St George's in Tooting and King's College in Denmark Hill.
Specialists there will also perform emergency brain surgery and complex bone operations. Local A&E units will handle the "walking wounded".
Currently most major trauma cases are sent to the nearest A&E where doctors may not have the expertise to treat them.
London's new trauma czar Dr Fionna Moore, 59, said that about 1,600 patients a year will receive care at the new centres.
The remaining 3,500 patients a year with less serious injuries will be treated at local emergency units.
Anyone injured in an accident or serious fall will be assessed at the scene by ambulance crews.
Dr Moore, medical director of London Ambulance Service which handled emergency care for victims of the 7/7 bombings, said the system would revolutionise care.
"This is not just about saving lives. It's about improving outcomes for patients and learning how to stop injuries happening."
But patient groups say people living in north-west London especially will face long journeys.
The first phase of the new system will be up and running by April.
Reader views (8)
Paul's comment is very simplistic to say the least!
The staff at London Ambulance are highly trained professional people who use technology is in place when taking calls to diagnose problems and catagorise calls.
Giving this information does NOT stop ambulances being despatched but it does ensure that staff are aware of what they will be dealing with.
Perhaps some focus ought to be put on those who waste their time with hoax calls or who this that the LAS is London's biggest taxi service.
- Andy, London
Both my late mother and myself were tajken to A&E as emergencies in the past few years. Once assessed and stablised long waits ensued. Why? Because the staff were havng to deal with the fallout of the binge drinkers - falls, fights and alcoholic poisioning. Tackling this issue would both free up staff and speed up treatment.
- Michael, London
Central London seems to be missed !
Where would seriously injured from the West End go ?
Leicester Square to St Mary's is 3.6 miles (Google map say 13 mins)
I fully support the scheme, but would hope that UCL be included.
- Peter Walker, Chelsea Bridge, London
Paul
If you'd read the article you will see that it says patients "will be assessed on scene by ambulance crews" and not over the phone when the initial 999 call is made.
- Chris, london england
Ed, yes of course it's a facile interpretation. I'm getting old and am easily amused. Sadly, though, as I progress through life I find my experiences with the NHS are ever more bound up with red tape, such as trying to get past the hatchet-faced receptionists for an appointment inside a week. Having been misdiagnosed on my last two visits to my GP I can claim some justification. Or maybe I should just get out more?
- Paul, London
Paul, clearly you havn't understood the principle being discussed here. Which hospital a patient is taken to will not be ascertained during a 999 call, and the dispatch and response of an ambulance will not be changed by the advent of specialist centres, this will be decided by the Ambulance crew when on scene with the patient after assessment.
Your comments suggest you would prefer to criticise the NHS and ambulance service without thought, than actually consider the huge benifit to a large number of patients in London who will now recieve a specialist level of care.
- Vicky, London, UK
Paul, that's a pretty facile interpretation. These transfers already happen under the current system - it's just that they are only made once patients have been assessed at their local A&E. At best, that is an hour of wasted time (often a lot more). Surely you can understand the benefit from taking a patient directly to the doctors who can save his life?
- Ed, Surbiton
I can see it now ….
“Emergency Services!”
“Ambulance please”
“Certainly, just a few questions first Are you (a) somewhat ill, (b) quite ill, (c) averagely ill, (d) really rather poorly, or (e) at death’s door?
“I’ve been stabbed”
“OK. Are you (a) scratched, (b) in need of an elastoplast, (c) making a mess on the carpet, (d) scaring the children, or (e) like a stuck pig?
Etc
- Paul, London
