By Owen Bowcott
The Guardian
Paramedics could be given greater powers to dispense drugs under an initiative to redesign emergency services and keep patients at home.
The change was proposed as the Department of Health released fresh figures today showing that demand for ambulance services is rising at 6.5% a year, adding an extra £60m to the NHS budget each year.
Sending out paramedics with greater skills to deal with patients so that they do not need to be admitted to hospital would be a better way of spending scarce financial resources, the first ever Ambulance Service Network conference was told.
Full story: Department of Health: “Extending prescribing responsibilities could speed up treatment”