First aid and calling ambulances to campus

Recently there have been queries regarding the process to follow should an ambulance be needed on campus. This article clarifies the process to follow when summoning first aid support and for calling an ambulance.

Summoning general first aid support

Faculties and divisions should display first aid posters in the areas they are responsible for, detailing local first aiders and how to contact them. First aiders can then be summoned using the details on these posters.

If it is not possible to contact a first aider directly, the Security Team can be contacted on 01273 873333, or ext 3333 from an internal phone. Depending on the first aid required, the Security Team may contact the Medical Response Team (MRT) who will attend to provide support.

Calling 999 for an ambulance

If an ambulance is required, the attending first aider should call 999 to request one. This is because the operator will ask questions about the injured person that only the attending first aider will be able to answer as they will be with the person at the time. If a first aider isn’t present, others supporting the injured person may also call 999 to request an ambulance.

Once an ambulance has been requested, the Security Team must be informed immediately by calling them on 01273 873333, or ext 3333 from an internal phone, to let them know:

• That an ambulance has been requested.
• Your location on the campus.
• What has happened/suspected to have happened to the injured person.

This will allow the Security Team time to meet the ambulance crew at the Knights Gate Road campus entrance and to direct them to the correct location on campus. If the Security Team are not informed, the ambulance crew may get lost on campus which will slow down their response time.

More details about these processes can be found in our First Aid Guidance.

If you have any queries, please contact healthsafety@sussex.ac.uk .

Health and Safety Team