Medical Priority Dispatch System
Beginning in October 2026, Oxford County Paramedic Services will begin using a new system for prioritizing emergency medical calls received through 911. This will help ensure those with the most serious medical conditions are seen first.
The new system, Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS), is an internationally recognized system designed to help prioritize medical emergencies based on urgency.
This system supports faster response to life-threatening emergencies, while improving the overall efficiency of emergency medical services.
The Medical Priority Dispatch System is currently used in thousands of dispatch centres around the world and is already being used in other Ontario communities.
What stays the same: Reliable ambulance response
When you call 911 for a medical emergency, an emergency communications dispatcher will be there to take your call.
Calls involving life-threatening emergencies, such as cardiac arrest, difficulty breathing, stroke symptoms, severe allergic reactions or unconsciousness, will continue to receive the highest priority response-- as they do now.
What's changing
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- Questions when making a call. When you call 911 under the new system, you may be asked a few more questions to help dispatchers understand how serious or severe your condition is.
- Wait times for non-urgent conditions. If your needs are less urgent and the demand for paramedic services is high, you may wait longer for an ambulance to arrive. This may be the case for conditions such as flu-like symptoms or sprains.
- More consultation. Callers may also receive instructions over the phone while paramedics are on their way, such as guidance for CPR, choking emergencies, or other urgent medical situations. You may also get a call back to check on your status during longer waits.
How this improves emergency medical care
The new Medical Priority Dispatch System will help Oxford County Paramedic Services continue to meet the emergency medical needs of our community by:
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- prioritizing the most critical emergencies;
- improving patient outcomes through more efficient response coordination;
- ensuring the right resources are dispatched to the right calls;
- reducing unnecessary lights-and-sirens responses, improving safety for paramedics and the public; and,
- providing more consistent and evidence-based emergency call assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) is a software tool that helps prioritize emergency medical calls made to 911.
It helps identify which ambulance calls should be responded to first based on how serious a patient's medical condition is at the time of their call. If their condition changes, their priority level is reassessed.
The system is used around the world and is evidence based, meaning it relies on best available research.
At Oxford County, MPDS will ensure patients receive the right care and equipment at the right time.
911 Dispatchers will continue to be ready to take your call and ensure you get the emergency help you need.
For a medical emergency, you may be asked a few more questions to help dispatchers better understand how urgent or serious your condition is. You may also get a call back to check on your status during longer waits.
Please note: calls involving life-threatening emergencies, such as cardiac arrest, difficulty breathing, stroke symptoms, or unconsciousness, will continue to receive the highest priority response-- as they do now.
When speaking to dispatchers, please provide as many details as possible to ensure you are provided with the best possible care for your situation.
Yes! Oxford County Paramedic Services will continue responding to non-life-threatening medical calls. It is during periods of high demand that response times may be longer for less urgent calls while paramedics are attending to more critical emergencies.
Ambulance dispatchers will also continue to monitor calls where ambulance response is delayed, for instance by calling back to check in on the person's condition.
Please note that paramedics already on their way to a low-priority call may be redirected to a higher priority, life-threatening emergency call if needed.
If your condition changes while waiting for paramedics, please notify 911 Dispatch immediately when they call back to check your status, or call 911 again if the situation becomes more serious. Emergency medical calls will be reassessed and reprioritized as needed. The new system is designed to ensure that the most serious patients at any moment are seen first.
No. Hospitals use a triage system to determine the urgency of every patient’s condition, whether they arrived by ambulance or walking in. This ensures that the sickest and most critical patients are treated first.
If your medical situation is not urgent, you may be able to use other health services in your community.
- Call 211 or visit 211 Ontario
- Visit Urgent Care Ontario for medical conditions that are not life threatening but need urgent attention: www.urgentcareontario.ca
- Talk to a Pharmacist
- Visit a medical walk-in clinic in your community if one is available. Visit Oxford Ontario Health Team (Oxford OHT) for a list of clinics: https://oxfordoht.ca/primary-care-resources-without-a-family-doctor-or-nurse-practitioner/#walk-inUrgentCareClinics