Ambulance crews working out of SECAmb's Paddock Wood base, in Kent, can access the system from within the trust's electronic patient care record, allowing them to have a greater overview of a patient's clinical history while attending a call.

To date, the system has proved most popular for ambulance crews when they are attending calls related to falls or chest pain.

The pilot, which began in June, was initially due to run for a period of eight weeks, but following its success is being extended in Paddock Wood with the potential for wider rollout.

The testing will help SECAmb understand how access to the system can help support clinical decision-making and improve patient care. It also aims to understand how the trust's current clinical systems will work with crews accessing GP Connect, interactions between crew and the control room function and the quality of care delivered to patients.

It is hoped interaction with the Trust's ePCR record will reduce manual entry time and errors. More complete information is expected to lead to faster dispositions and reduce the number of avoidable hospital conveyances.

The delivery of the pilot will form part of SECAmb's overall strategy to design a future model with the appropriate service which will be compatible with the Trust's overall shared care records system and which will integrate fully to the National Care Record System (NCRS) as a single access point for crews.

SECAmb Practice Development Lead, Sean Edwards said: ‘Access to patients' GP records is allowing our crews to make more informed choices when navigating care for patients.

‘Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive in that it is making ambulance clinicians interactions more streamlined and safer. This is a positive move for patients and the wider healthcare and promotes safety and ensures patients are seen in the right place, first time.'