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Casualty Department Support

Ralmed's casualty department support gives Gauteng hospitals structured ambulance handovers and transfers, so the receiving team has the clinical detail it needs.

For hospitals

  • Structured handovers at the casualty door
  • Transfers out to specialist units and other hospitals
  • Crews from basic life support to a doctor on board
  • Hospitals across Gauteng, from our Sandton base
  • One control room on 086 1725 633

The service

What is casualty department support?

Casualty department support is a service for hospitals, not a walk-in casualty for patients. It covers how our crews bring patients into a casualty unit and move them on from it.

A busy casualty team needs to know what happened, what the crew found and what treatment has already been given. A clear handover saves the team from asking the same questions twice. It also lets the doctors start on treatment rather than on paperwork, which helps most on a crowded night when several ambulances arrive together.

When a patient then needs a specialist unit or another hospital, our crews handle that transfer too, with the crew level set by the patient's needs.

Paramedics loading a patient into an ambulance as part of casualty department support
The handover starts before the stretcher reaches the bed.

The handover

What does a structured handover include?

Good casualty department support starts with a set order for handovers. Emergency services often use one such as ATMIST, so nothing important is missed. It covers six points:

Letter Stands for What the casualty team hears
A Age The patient's age and sex
T Time When the illness or injury began
M Mechanism What happened, for example a fall or a collision
I Injuries or illness What the crew found on examination
S Signs Vital signs and how they changed on the way
T Treatment Everything the crew gave or did before arrival

The written patient report then stays with the hospital, so the casualty department support does not end when the crew leaves.

What we offer

How does Ralmed support casualty units?

Casualty department support runs in both directions: patients arriving at casualty, and patients leaving it for further care. Each direction carries its own risk. On the way in, the risk is information that gets lost between the crew and the ward. On the way out, it is a patient who is sicker than the transfer crew was told.

Service What it means for the hospital
Handovers on arrival A structured verbal handover and a written patient report for every patient our crews bring in
Transfers out Moving patients from casualty to a specialist unit or another hospital
Matched crew levels Basic, intermediate or advanced crews, with a doctor on board for the most serious cases
One point of contact The same control room for bookings, updates and questions, day and night

[INSERT: how hospitals set up casualty department support with Ralmed, and which hospitals already use it]

Hospital team wheeling a patient on a stretcher along a hospital corridor
A hospital team moves a patient along the ward corridor after handover.
Paramedic monitoring a patient inside a Ralmed ambulance fitted with medical equipment
A paramedic monitors the patient on the way to the casualty department.
Three Ralmed crew members at the open side door of an ambulance
The crew prepare at the ambulance door before handing over to casualty staff.

Run a casualty unit in Gauteng? Talk to our control room on 086 1725 633.

Why hospitals work with Ralmed

Clear handovers. Casualty department support with the same structure every time, so the team knows what to expect.

Transfers when beds are needed. Our patient transfer service moves patients on to the care they need.

A doctor on board where needed. For the most serious transfers, a doctor travels with the crew.

Operating since 2013. Ralmed has run private emergency medical services from Sandton for more than a decade.

Questions

Questions about casualty department support

How does a hospital arrange casualty department support?

Call 086 1725 633 and ask for the operations team, or email info@ralmed.com with the hospital's name and a contact person. We will talk through the handover standards you use and the transfers your casualty unit needs, and agree how bookings will work.

Is this a casualty department that patients can walk into?

No. Casualty department support is a service for hospitals. Patients who need a doctor should go to a hospital emergency unit or see a GP at Ralmed's 24-hour practice in Kelvin View. In an emergency, call an ambulance on 086 1725 633 or 10177.

Can your crews move patients out of casualty?

Yes. We transfer patients from casualty to specialist units and other hospitals across Gauteng. The sending team tells us about the patient, and our control room chooses the crew level to match, from basic life support to a doctor on board for the most serious cases.

What does the written patient report include?

The report is written by the crew who treated the patient. It records the patient's details, what happened, what the crew found, the vital signs taken on the way and every treatment given before arrival. It stays with the hospital as part of the patient's record, so the casualty team can refer back to it.

Do you work with public and private hospitals?

Our crews take patients to public and private hospitals across Gauteng, depending on what the patient needs and, where it is clinically safe, the hospital they ask for. Talk to us about the arrangement that suits your hospital and the way your casualty unit works.

Can a doctor travel with a critical transfer?

Yes. For the most serious transfers and retrievals, a doctor travels in the ambulance with the crew. Tell the control room about the patient when you book, and we will confirm the crew level, including a doctor on board where the case calls for it.

Can casualty staff book a transfer at night?

Yes. Ralmed's control room answers 086 1725 633 24 hours a day, so a casualty unit can book an ambulance or inter-hospital transfer at night, at weekends and on public holidays. Give the patient's details, the receiving hospital and the crew level needed, and the control room confirms the booking.

Which areas do you serve for casualty support?

Ralmed supports casualty departments at hospitals across Gauteng, working from our base in Kelvin View, Sandton. Our crews cover every region of the province, including Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni. For transfers beyond Gauteng, ask about our air ambulance, which flies within South Africa and across its borders.

What crew levels are available for casualty transfers?

Each transfer is matched to the crew it needs: a basic ambulance assistant, an intermediate paramedic, an advanced life support paramedic, or a doctor on board for the sickest patients. Tell us the patient's condition and treatment when you book, and the control room sets the crew level to match.

Related services

More from Ralmed for hospitals

Book a patient transfer, read about our air ambulance for longer journeys, or see our international patient service. If you manage a clinic rather than a hospital, the same transfer service is available to you. All our clinical services are on the doctors page.

Support for your casualty team

Structured handovers for every patient our crews bring in, and transfers out when patients need further care, through one control room. To discuss casualty department support for your hospital, call 086 1725 633.

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About Us

Head office based in Sandton, Johannesburg, Ralmed established in 2013, specializes in comprehensive medical and occupational health services in South Africa, dedicated to compassionate, cost-effective care. Call Ralmed Emergency Medical Services today.

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