Grey County paramedics are consistently answering the call. For the 2023 calendar year, Grey County paramedics exceeded targets for all call types while responding to a record 15,046 total calls for response. The annual response time report was presented to Grey County Council on March 14.
“Grey County is committed to continuous improvements in our paramedic services. This is reflected in the response time targets which are developed annually,” explained Kevin McNab, Director of Paramedic Services with Grey County. “Even as call volumes continue to grow, our professional team is rising to the challenge, providing high quality and timely first response to those in need.”
In addition to exceeding 2023 targets, response times matched or exceeded Grey County’s five-year performance average for all call types.
Grey County reviews response targets each year. Performance is measured across six triage levels determined by the severity of the call. SCA (sudden cardiac arrest) are the most urgent and have a response target of six minutes or less 40% of the time. CTAS 1 calls require resuscitation and are life-threatening, such as cardiac arrests or major trauma. The response target for CTAS 1 calls is eight minutes or less 60% of the time. CTAS 2 calls require emergency care and may be life-threatening, such as a head injury or internal bleeding. The response target for CTAS 2 calls is 15 minutes or less 90% of the time. CTAS 3 calls require urgent care for conditions that could progress to serious problems, such as moderate breaking problems or a resolved seizure. CTAS 4 calls are less urgent conditions that would benefit from help or reassurance, such as wounds requiring stitches. CTAS 5 calls are non-urgent conditions which could be delayed or referred to other areas of the healthcare system, such as a sore throat or a dressing change. The response time for CTAS 3, CTAS 4 and CTAS 5 calls is 20 minutes or less 90% of the time.
Grey County paramedics cover an area of 4,500 square kilometres. The location of a call and the nearest paramedic station or available ambulance impact response times. A comprehensive deployment review was completed in 2023 to help better understand the growing demand for paramedic services over the next ten years. This review recommends strategies for improving response times in remote areas of the County. This includes adding a new base in Feversham, rebuilding the base in Durham, and phasing in additional shifts at other bases.
For information can be found the Grey County website at www.grey.ca.
