Section 153-A:1 Declaration of Policy and Purpose. - New Hampshire Statutes

   I. The general court declares that it is the policy of the state of New Hampshire to save lives and speed the healing of persons in need of medical services by providing an emergency medical and trauma services system that will bring an injured or sick person under the care of properly trained individuals in the shortest practical time, and that will provide safe transportation to the most appropriate treatment center prepared to receive the sick or injured person. It is the policy of the state of New Hampshire to insure that the sick or injured person is safely transported in properly equipped vehicles which are designed to supply supportive care and which are able to communicate with medical treatment centers. The use of properly licensed wheelchair vans for hire is to ensure that patients confined to a wheelchair are transported in equipped vehicles driven by personnel approved by the division.
   II. The general court recognizes that traumatic injury is a health problem in the state of New Hampshire and a cause of unnecessary death and that an organized system for the delivery of trauma care services in New Hampshire should be available. Emergency medical services in rural and wilderness areas require adequately trained and equipped personnel to treat and transport trauma victims. Therefore, the general court declares that the establishment of a coordinated statewide trauma and injury prevention system will benefit all residents and visitors to New Hampshire by reducing the incidence of traumatic injury and minimizing human suffering and disability.
   III. The general court, recognizing that the provision of emergency medical and trauma services at the local level is a continuation of a long and valued tradition of neighbor helping neighbor that should be encouraged and maintained, and that the individual providers of emergency medical care must be part of a comprehensive system of care delivery, declares that it is the purpose of this chapter to assure the development, coordination, and administration of an emergency medical and trauma services system that reflects the differing needs and abilities of the state's communities and regions.
   IV. The general court further recognizes that the delivery of adequate pre-hospital care is reliant on the thorough cooperation of the emergency medical care providers and, therefore, the general court urges the emergency medical care providers to cooperate with and follow the lead of each emergency medical service unit's medical resource hospital.
   V. The general court recognizes that volunteers make up a large portion of the staffing of the emergency medical service units, especially in the northern portion of the state. Therefore, the general court believes that the training levels for minimum certification as an emergency medical care provider should continue to allow future volunteer emergency medical care provider participation.
   VI. The general court declares that, to the extent it is possible, it is the policy of the state of New Hampshire to allow patients to be transported to the hospital, medical facility, or location of their choice in their area, if there is no compelling medical reason to the contrary. Further, the general court declares that, if appropriate, durable power of attorney for health care and the living will statutes should be taken into consideration in providing emergency medical and trauma services.

Source. 1999, 345:6, eff. July 1, 1999.