Summary of characteristics of recruited cases
| Characteristic | Cases (n=48) |
| Patient mean age (years) | 58.7 |
| Patient age range (years) | 18–92 |
| Patient sex—female | 29 (60%) |
| Has a formal carer | 18 (38%) |
| Not the patient making the 999 call | 31 (65%) |
| Clinical problem | |
| Acute infection | 6 (13%) |
| Breathing problems | 5 (10%) |
| Mental health problems | 5 (10%) |
| Abdominal pain | 4 (8%) |
| Falls, faints and funny turns | 3 (6%) |
| Sickness/gastroenteritis | 3 (6%) |
| Confusion | 3 (6%) |
| Other | 3 (6%) |
| Chronic pain condition flare-up | 3 (6%) |
| Urinary symptoms | 2 (4%) |
| End of life/palliative care problem | 2 (4%) |
| Chest pain | 2 (4%) |
| Musculoskeletal pain | 2 (4%) |
| Skin problems | 2 (4%) |
| Headaches | 2 (4%) |
| Medication problems | 1 (2%) |
| Outcome | |
| Transported to hospital | 14 (29%) |
| Treated at scene—no referrals | 12 (25%) |
| Treated at scene—referred to GP | 17 (35%) |
| Treated at scene—referred to community nursing or social care | 4 (8%) |
| Refused further treatment | 1 (2%) |
| Call made outside of general physician opening hours | 23 (48%) |