Accessing the London Ambulance Service (LAS) Healthcare Professional (HCP) Referral Line
Dear General Practice Colleagues,
I am writing to encourage the use of the Healthcare Professional (HCP) referral line when requesting an ambulance response for a patient via London Ambulance Service (LAS) (see attachment for further information).
The HCP referral line is designed specifically for clinicians. It enables you to request the most appropriate response based on your clinical assessment. Referrals should be made by a clinician who understands the clinical scenario, is able to discuss the case in detail, negotiate a safe and appropriate response, and take clinical responsibility for the response time requested.
When a clinician has assessed a patient and believes an ambulance response is required, using the HCP line helps ensure patients receive timely, safe and proportionate care. At times, patients are advised to dial 999 themselves. While this may seem pragmatic, patients may be triaged to a different outcome depending on how they interpret and answer the questions asked. This can result in a response that does not fully reflect the clinical assessment already undertaken. For patient safety and effectiveness, it is far better for the healthcare professional who has assessed the patient to make the call directly. Please also avoid delegating this call to a receptionist or non-clinical staff member, particularly where they do not understand the clinical detail. Your clinical handover is essential to ensuring the ambulance service fully understands the patient’s presentation, risks and needs.
Before requesting an ambulance, please consider the following key clarification points:
- Does your patient require clinical assessment and management, or conveyance only?
If conveyance is required and the patient is clinically stable, consider whether:
- the patient can safely make their own way to hospital,
- a friend or relative can transport them, or
- a taxi or the Non-Emergency Transport Service (NETS) would be more appropriate.
If you are unsure what response is required, this can be discussed with the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) / Clinical Hub (CHUB) via the HCP line to support decision-making.
When making a referral, you will be asked to confirm the patient’s location and contact details twice. This is vital to ensure the correct dispatch location and to allow call-back if the call is terminated for any reason.
If an ambulance is requested, please ensure that you:
- provide a clear verbal handover to the ambulance clinicians on arrival, and
- supply any relevant printed documentation or clinical information to support onward care.
Ambulance clinicians will translate your handover to the hospital team, so the quality and clarity of this information is critical to ensuring your patient receives the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
Thank you for your continued professionalism and for working collaboratively with the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust to support patient safety and high-quality care across our system.
Kind Regards
Dr Agatha Nortley- Meshe (She/Her)
Regional Medical Director for Primary Care
MDSIPS and Medical Lead for Primary Care and UEC Transformation Programmes
NHS WRES Expert
National Primary Care Medical Directorate Lead for UEC
NHS England – London Region
Email: agatha.nortley-meshe@nhs.net