Computer Crashes Send London Rescuers Back to Pen and Paper

London Ambulance Service's computer-controlled 999 system has failed repeatedly in the past three weeks - raising fears that lives are being put at risk.

Staff have had to go back to using pen and paper to track ambulances.

A shortage of staff in the call centre has compounded the problem. At peak times calls are diverted to the Met Police control room, to staff who have no medical training and cannot give emergency advice on how to help a patient.

The situation is reminiscent of a computer crash in 1992 which resulted in the deaths of up to 20 people because ambulances were delayed in reaching patients.

An insider at London Ambulance Service said: "It has taken us back to the old days of call-takers having to use an A-Z to find addresses and the allocaters having to try and guess where ambulances are.

"It has been a nightmare. Patients are being put at risk because when they dial 999 and it's busy, they get through to a voice message and are then diverted to a police call-taker.

"When the computer systems crash, the operations centre does not know which ambulances are on emergency calls, or returning to their stations and available." When working properly, London Ambulance Service call-takers input details of emergencies into the computer system. Then it automatically alerts the nearest ambulance via a screen in the cab, allowing the most efficient response.

Managers at London Ambulance Service say there is no evidence that patients are being put at risk, that the system only goes down for a short time, and that the pen and paper system works well. A spokesman said the main problems have now been fixed and were related to a software upgrade.

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