BHP's Delegating Transport Destination
Question# 838
When patching to Base Hospital, can the Physician direct the crew to a specific destination when no bypass agreements/criteria have been met?
Answer:
Bypass agreements are not within the purview of the RPPEO. They are agreements between the paramedic services and local hospitals and are associated with the BLS PCS, not the ALS PCS.
That said, the BHPs are happy to take patches for destination consultations however, the operational demands within your service also need to be taken into account. For example, the physicians on the phone do not have access to things like levels, unit availability/location, hospital offload times, CACC information, etc.
In summary, the BHP's have been advised to provide input on the medicine and stability of the patient being presented to them over the phone however, the ultimate decision lies with CACC and the paramedic service's leadership. They have no authority to override the issues outlined above and dictate a paramedic crew to transport to a specific hospital however, they will certainly provide a medical opinion and are happy to assist.
That said, the BHPs are happy to take patches for destination consultations however, the operational demands within your service also need to be taken into account. For example, the physicians on the phone do not have access to things like levels, unit availability/location, hospital offload times, CACC information, etc.
In summary, the BHP's have been advised to provide input on the medicine and stability of the patient being presented to them over the phone however, the ultimate decision lies with CACC and the paramedic service's leadership. They have no authority to override the issues outlined above and dictate a paramedic crew to transport to a specific hospital however, they will certainly provide a medical opinion and are happy to assist.