Emergency transfers

An Emergency inter-hospital transfer is indicated if the patient has a time-critical clinical condition and the time to arrive at a hospital with the staff and facilities, to provide definitive treatment, is crucial to the patient's outcome. The transfer must occur as soon as possible and preferably immediately because saving 30-60 minutes is likely to improve the patient's outcome.

Examples of clinical conditions requiring an Emergency inter-hospital transfer include, but are not limited to: 

• Airway obstruction or imminent airway obstruction where the patient's airway has not been secured with an endotracheal tube.
• Abnormal breathing with signs of significantly impaired oxygenation or ventilation.
• ST-elevation myocardial infarction, particularly when the patient is expected to go straight to percutaneous coronary intervention
• Cardiogenic shock.
• Shock where the patient is unresponsive to treatment.
• Leaking abdominal aortic aneurism, or suspected leaking abdominal aortic aneurism with signs of shock.
• Extradural or subdural haemorrhage where the patient is expected to go straight to the operating theatre.
• Traumatic brain injury with a GCS of less than or equal to 9.
• Stroke where the patient is expected to go straight to percutaneous stroke intervention for clot retrieval.
• Status epilepticus when the seizures remain uncontrolled despite treatment.
• Post-partum haemorrhage.
• Pregnancy related emergencies with signs of foetal distress.
• Limb injury with signs of severe limb ischaemia.
  

An Emergency Transfer is a lights and sirens response. We endeavour to service these requests within 30 minutes after the request has been made. 

Emergency Transfers must be requested via phone call to HTOC on 0800 876 737