May 01 2026

Introducing RELEASE TO RESCUE – A whole system commitment to patient safety - from Monday 27th April

Release to Rescue, an initiative to get ambulances back into the community faster so patients aren’t left waiting. Release to Rescue will improve safety. It sets a clear standard that no patient arriving by ambulance will wait longer than a maximum of 2 hours outside ED. If the 2-hour threshold is reached, a formal handover to ED staff takes place so the ambulance crew can return to the community to respond to other calls. This is the first step in a longer-term ambition to move towards a 45 minute handover