Peterborough County/City Paramedics to Implement New 9-1-1 System

Paramedic services throughout Southeastern Ontario, including Peterborough County/City Paramedics, are introducing a new system for 9-1-1 emergency calls that will take effect on March 26, announced on Wednesday.

Photo by David Tuan bui.

The new system is part of the Government of Ontario’s Your Health Plan. It will require 9-1-1 callers to answer more detailed questions regarding the patient's condition.

Patients with less urgent or non-life-threatening conditions may experience longer wait times during periods with higher call volumes. For less urgent cases, patients will remain under observation through ongoing communication with ambulance communication officers to ensure no change in the patient's condition.

According to Peterborough County, the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) will match paramedics with specialized skills and equipment to each case, ensuring that non-urgent demand in emergency departments is reduced.

The County says that the data from regions already using MPDS has shown notable improvements in key operational challenges, including reduced offload delays at hospitals, better management of meal claims for staff and decreased end-of-shift overtime.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.