Improving the ambulance handover process.
What is the OneLondon 999 Digital Transfer of Care programme?
OneLondon is working with London Ambulance Service and the Capital’s Emergency Departments to make improvements to the ambulance handover process.
Currently on arrival at hospital the ambulance teams brief the local Emergency Department staff about the reason for the call out, treatment and medications received, the person’s response and other key information. The ED team then enter this information in their Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system which takes time and data entry errors can occur.
We are making improvements so that patient information can be automatically sent to the receiving Trust’s EPR as soon as the ambulance clinician decides to convey the patient to hospital.
What are the benefits?
This will help to reduce the need for data entry of a patient’s information when they arrive at the ED.
It also means that ambulance teams and ED staff can use that handover time to have a much richer conversation about the patient focusing on the key care issues rather than using it to relay the more routine information.
Because EDs will receive this information before the patient arrives they may also be able to proactively plan their care before arrival.
It will also help ambulance teams to get back the road sooner to help more Londoners. With around a million ambulance handovers a year in the Capital that could add up to a lot of time saved by ED and ambulance teams for the benefit of patients.
What is happening and when?
The first phase of the new automated system was launched at St Thomas’ Hospital ED in July 2025, the Princess Royal University Hospital ED in September 2025, Kings College Hospital ED in December 2025 and St Mary’s Hospital ED in January 2026. It will be rolled out to all of the Capital’s 27 EDs in due course.
How your information is kept safe
By law, everyone working in, or on behalf of health and social care organisations, must respect patient privacy and keep your information safe. Our systems use a secure and encrypted system that meet NHS and social care security standards.
Only health and care staff involved in your care are allowed to view your records and an audit trail of everyone who accessed records using OneLondon tools is kept. Only approved organisations and/or approved researchers will be able to access the London Secure Data Environment.
Deciding not to share your information
You have a right to determine how your health and care information is used. You can object to your information being shared for direct care and to opt out of your data being used for planning and research purposes.
More information about how your health and care information is used, as well as how to exercise your right to object or opt out is available here.