Seamless communication for HART paramedics saves lives

The national Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) programme was rolled out across all NHS Ambulance Trusts in England between 2008 and 2012. The roll out coincided with the ambulance service's change to a new way of communicating with crews and control rooms using Airwave. HART has been at the forefront of this digital revolution.

The ambulance service uses hand portables and vehicle sets supplied by Sepura. These radios then use the Airwave network to communicate with each other and their respective control rooms. The technology allows the users of Airwave to talk to each other anywhere within the UK. This is important given the depth of coverage the Airwave system provides.

All emergency services use the Airwave system and with HART being an integral part of the multi-agency response to major or significantly challenging incidents, seamless communication is now possible between these agencies, leading to an improvement in patient outcomes.

The ability to use one system and one channel, or Talk Group, to communicate improves the safety of the teams working in the risk area facilitating rapid deployment and early treatment of the most seriously ill patients.