Ambulance response times in N.S. improving: Emergency Medical Care Inc. [Video]

HALIFAX –

Emergency response times across Nova Scotia, which had risen steadily in recent years, are improving, says the head of the province’s ambulance service.

Average response times are down from 36 minutes to 18 minutes provincewide so far this year, Matthew Crossman, president of Emergency Medical Care Inc., told the legislature’s public accounts committee Wednesday.

Crossman attributed the improvement to the use of an air ambulance for long-distance transfers to Halifax hospitals, which has liberated ground crews for shorter trips. Improved wait times are also due to clinical programs, including one that allows paramedics to discharge some patients at the scene of their treatment without having to bring them to hospital, he added.

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Under that program, paramedics are able to consult with physicians and nurses at the ambulance communications centre to determine the severity of any injuries before determining options.

“About a third of our calls result …