New dispatch system aims to speed life-saving response in Middlesex-London

The implementation of a new dispatch system for Middlesex County is designed to modernize ambulance calls. CTV’s Gerry Dewan explains.

The Middlesex-London Paramedic Service (MLPS) is set to implement the medical priority dispatch system (MPDS) across its operations, a move designed to significantly enhance response times for patients experiencing life-threatening emergencies.

The provincial initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Health, aims to standardize and improve the prioritization of emergency medical calls, with a scheduled go-live date in October 2026.

MPDS is an internationally recognized emergency medical dispatch protocol that introduces a structured and standardized call-taking process. Emergency medical dispatchers will use medically approved questioning to more accurately determine the severity of a patient’s condition, categorizing calls into priority levels to ensure the most appropriate and fastest response is dispatched.

This protocol replaces legacy dispatch codes with new medical priority classifications, focusing dispatch decisions primarily on patient acuity rather than historical practices or unit availability.

Director of MLPS Adam Bennett presented the system’s implementation plan to Middlesex County Council Tuesday afternoon, highlighting anticipated improvements.

“We’re going to see system improvements across the service as a whole,” Bennett said.

He explained that the new system allows dispatchers to ask more detailed questions, gather crucial information, and better triage and balance incoming calls. Bennett also noted how the MPDS will integrate seamlessly with specialized units, such as the recently launched Advanced Care Rapid Response units.

“Our Advanced Care Rapid Response Unit is going to fit extremely well into the MPDS system. The MPDS system is going to allow us to be able to identify specific calls that it can go to,” he said.

The union representing Middlesex-London paramedics has long advocated for dispatch system changes. Andrew Swan, president of OPSEU Local 147, expressed optimism about MPDS.

“I’m aware of other services, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area, that use MPDS. And, from everything I’ve heard about it, it’s going to be a very positive change for us,” Swan said.

He recalled instances where lower priority calls inadvertently diverted crews from more serious situations, leading to unacceptable delays for critical patients.

“I’ve done that call where I’ve heard the person who has fallen and injured themselves have an ambulance dispatched and several times the ambulance is canceled. Several times because other stuff has come in only for me to arrive and go, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this person’s been waiting for two hours,’” Swan recounted.

The implementation is part of a broader Ministry of Health effort to roll out MPDS across Ontario’s Central Ambulance Communication Centres (CACCs).

Middlesex County Council has previously supported greater local involvement in ambulance communications. While dispatch remains a provincial responsibility, MPDS is expected to deliver many of the efficiencies local officials sought.

Discussions between county and city representatives, MLPS and provincial health officials in 2024 helped advance the local implementation timeline.

The primary goal of MPDS is to ensure patients with life-threatening emergencies receive the quickest possible response. The system is designed to improve dispatch decision-making, better prioritize critical calls and support more efficient use of emergency resources. This is particularly crucial in rural areas where travel times are longer.

By ensuring non-life-threatening calls can be safely delayed during high demand, ambulances can be prioritized for critical emergencies, helping them remain available within communities.

Bennett also believes the system will prove more cost-effective for the ambulance service, potentially reducing overtime costs and improving overall deployment efficiency.

MPDS will introduce operational changes for MLPS, including new medical priority classifications, enhanced information gathering during calls, and potential reassignment of ambulances to higher-priority emergencies.

The system will also influence existing tiered response agreements with municipal fire departments, requiring coordination on dispatch determinants. MLPS has been actively engaging with fire department partners, who have expressed support for the upcoming changes and the value MPDS brings to coordinated emergency response.

While the Ministry of Health is leading the provincial implementation, MLPS has been working collaboratively with provincial partners throughout the planning process.

The system is officially scheduled to go live in October 2026.