Our work priorities
The Ambulance Service Netwok (ASN), as part of the NHS Confederation, lobbies the Government on policy issues relating to the ambulance services in the UK. The main aim of the ASN is to raise the profile of ambulance services and to encourage these services to achieve greater integration with the wider health system.
The NHS Confederation is the independent membership body for the full range of organisations that make up the modern NHS.
The work of the ASN includes:
Influencing policy through:
- Working with new teams and organisations which have emerged as a result of the election
- Identifying opportunities to influence policy developments
- On-going input from members on the development of current, relevant policies via contributions to our consultation responses
- On-going work with key stakeholders such as the Care Quality Commission.
Communicating the role and performance of ambulance services by:
- Continuing to promote a better understanding among stakeholders, the media and the public about the central role of ambulance services in the emergency and urgent care system
- Supporting members to work more closely with the wider NHS and other key stakeholders in health and social care and develop new models of urgent care for patients that shift the focus towards prevention and early intervention.
Promoting good practice by:
- Supporting members to share examples of good practice and learn from each other about effective implementation
- Identifying gaps in the support being provided to NHS ambulance services to help members to perform their role effectively in an increasingly challenging environment.
The work that the ASN does on behalf of its members will feed into the wider NHS Confederation work programme that benefits joint working between all health areas.
Our work programme
The ASN work programme 2008 - 2010 will take forward and develop the
ASN’s vision for emergency and urgent care as set out in our publication
'A vision for emergency and urgent care the role of ambulance services'.
The ASN will carry out work to influence policy on the following emergency and urgent care issues:
Emergency care:
- International best practice on emergency care
- Transferring patients between hospitals
- Trauma.
Urgent care:
- A single point of access for urgent care services
- Engaging with commissioners
- Improving care for older people
- Improving care for people with mental health problems
- Public health.
ASN in the media
A monthly report updating members on ASN communications and representation. The ASN communications update report for August 2010 is now available.