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What is the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) and why the change?
The MPDS is an evidence-based technology that has become the industry standard for patient triaging and is subject to ongoing testing, development, and quality assurance measures. The system is currently being used by Toronto, Niagara, Mississauga, Kenora, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Renfrew, Georgian, Kingston, Oshawa, Lindsay, Hamilton and Cambridge CACC.
The tool is designed to help Ambulance Communication Officers understand a patient’s level of urgency and triage them accordingly. This system allows the CACCs to match available paramedic resources with a patient’s condition – ensuring that the right paramedic resources are appropriately dispatched and patients with life-threatening conditions receive care immediately.
How will this affect residents of the Manitoulin and Sudbury districts?
This change will affect how Paramedics from the Manitoulin and Sudbury districts respond to calls. The Medical Priority Dispatch System optimizes paramedic resources, prioritizing the most urgent 9-1-1 calls, and ensuring the right care at the right time for people living in the region.
What happens when you call 9-1-1?
People in the region calling 9-1-1 can expect more detailed questions from Ambulance Communications Officers. These questions help emergency personnel gather specific information about a patient’s condition to make quick and effective dispatch decisions.
Low-urgency incidents will be dispatched as soon as an appropriate ambulance is available and will receive follow-up call-backs to check on the patient’s status. If the patient’s status during the follow-up call requires immediate medical attention, a paramedic will be dispatched.
What has the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB done to prepare for this change?
Staff have been working diligently to ensure appropriate preparedness measures are in place. This includes proactive communication with the Ministry of Health, Sudbury Central Ambulance Communications Centre, and partner agencies, as well as internal staff training programs.
Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB staff will actively liaise with Sudbury CACC during rollout to identify and resolve concerns and challenges attributable to the MPDS transition. Early identification of these issues will support timely mitigation and help ensure that Paramedic Service resources continue to be deployed safely and efficiently.
If you have questions or comments related the the MPDS system please contact us by using the following Feedback Form.
