I am writing to provide some further information to balance an article from March 16 whereby a family member of a patient claimed that the care provided by BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) paramedics during a call in Kamloops on the weekend was “dangerously inadequate.”

BCAS responded to this call with two ambulances and four paramedics – one Advanced Care Paramedic crew and one Primary Care Paramedic crew. The fire department/first responders were also notified but the Advanced Care Paramedic crew were the first to arrive on scene in about five minutes.

The BCAS Emergency Medical Dispatcher remained on the phone with the caller, following correct protocol, until the paramedics were on scene to continually assess the patient’s condition, provide instructions for bystanders and reassure the caller that the ambulance was on the way.

BCAS reviewed the response and determined that paramedics conducted a thorough on-scene patient assessment, followed appropriate protocols and provided proper care and treatment during this call. The patient was stable while in BCAS’ care and was transported routine, on a non-emergency basis, to hospital. A change in the patient’s condition was noted just prior to arrival at the hospital and paramedics communicated this to hospital personnel. Further details regarding the specifics are not appropriate for this venue and would require consent from the patient.

BCAS is committed to providing high quality emergency medical care to patients and takes all complaints about our service and the professionalism of our paramedics seriously. To date, BCAS has not received a formal complaint about this call, but we would be happy to provide a more detailed response to the complainant in the media with the appropriate consent.

I appreciate the opportunity to provide further information regarding the service and care that was provided during this call.

LARRY JACKSON

Executive Director, Interior

BC Ambulance Service