Emergency medical service from an SUV: Why officials say new Rapid Response Unit is saving lives

Middlesex-London Paramedic Service's new Rapid Response Unit sees a 20% improvement in response times. CTV's Bryan Bicknell reports.

The Middlesex London Paramedic Service (MLPS) says more lives are being saved because of its new Rapid Response Unit.

And when it comes to saving lives, every moment counts in a high-priority call, said Adam Bennett, director of Paramedic Services.

“Those would be calls such as cardiac arrests, seizures, unconscious patients, major trauma,” he explained.

MLPS is extolling the benefits of its new Rapid Response Unit. It’s a specialized response unit staffed with a single Advanced Care Paramedic. The vehicle is a standard SUV and has all the same medication and equipment as a full-sized ambulance, but gets to the call quicker, giving patients a better chance for a positive outcome.

“We’re able to roll one rapid response unit with a single paramedic to the call, leaving additional transporting units available for the other 911 calls,” said Bennett.

According to MLPS, in its first 30 days the Rapid Response Unit responded to 623 highest acuity Priority 4 calls. These included 40 cardiac arrests, with 26 patients resuscitated. MLPS says access to advanced care for the most critical calls has improved by 42 per cent. This, in turn, translates into an overall 20 per cent improvement in Priority 4 response times for MLPS.

“I was overwhelmed. I know that we have a very, very strong paramedic group here. They’re extremely professional. But seeing the actual results surpassed the positive results we were hoping for. The amount of positive impact to the community, it’s immeasurable,” said Bennett.

The Rapid Response Unit is the first of its kind for paramedic services in Ontario. On Tuesday, Middlesex County and MLPS met at Queens Park with Essex MPP Anthony Leardi, the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health, to talk about the Rapid Response Unit’s outcomes so far.

Leardi was not available for an interview with CTV News to talk about what he thinks of the program.

The Ministry of Health issued the following statement in lieu of an interview:

“Our government we are excited to see our partners use innovations to improve patient care. We will continue to work with our paramedic partners to continue to deliver connected and convenient emergency care across the province,” wrote Hannah Jensen, spokesperson for the Minister of Health.

Bennett said he believes the program was well received by the Ministry.

“They’re taking close notice of the positive impact this model has within the community, to the paramedics, what it is that we’re able to do, and how paramedics can actually deliver paramedicine,” he said.

The Rapid Response Unit is a permanent addition to MLPS. According to Bennett, it is paid for within the MLPS budget with no additional cost to taxpayers.