Evaluating the Ten Second Triage Tool: A novel multi-agency pre-hospital triage tool for major incidents

Recent inquests following major incidents in the UK have criticised the ‘care gap’ – the time period between an incident occurring and emergency services accessing casualties to deliver life-saving interventions. To address this, the Ten Second Triage (TST) tool was developed in the UK to facilitate rapid non-physiological assessments by any first responder, regardless of their profession or organisation. TST aims to speed up the delivery of early life-saving interventions and facilitate the prioritisation of casualties, ultimately improving casualty outcomes in major incidents. The current study evaluated TST’s usability through a series of live exercises with specialist and non-specialist responders from a variety of Police, Fire and Rescue, and Ambulance Services in the UK participating. Focus groups and questionnaires were used to capture participants perceptions of TST and their experiences using it during the exercises. Results show that a multi-agency triage tool can be used, and responders are confident using it, to facilitate the delivery of early life-saving interventions and casualty prioritisation by responders regardless of their clinical background. Results also highlighted key considerations for the practicalities of using a multi-agency triage tool in real emergencies, including the importance of reciprocal trust, collaborative training, and a shared understanding of terminology. Recommendations on the content and format informed TST’s development and integration into UK practice in Spring 2023.